NAMES: 
AND    THEIR    MEANING 

A  BOOK  FOR  THE  CURIOUS 


LEOPOLD    WAGNER 


*          ••*      •»  »*•' 

11  WhaTsSa'/i;  rjame-«?"--Sl->A^ijfc 


NEW   YORK 

G.    P.    PUTNAM'S    SONS 

27  AND  29  WEST  2  30  ST. 

LONDON:    T.    FISHER    UNWIN 

1891 


INTRODUCTION. 


NOT  the  least  difficult  matter  in  connection 
with  the  present  work  has  been  the  choice 
of  a  title,  The  one  finally  determined 
upon  is  far  from  satisfactory,  because  it  scarcely 
suggests  the  scope  of  the  subject  treated.  True 
enough,  the  single  word  NOMENCLATURE  offered 
itself  as  a  suitable  title ;  but  this  is  really  a 
French  word,  derived,  of  course,  from  the  Latin,  and 
although  it  has  been  admitted  into  our  vocabulary 
simply  owing  to  the  lack  of  an  English  equivalent, 
its  use  is  properly  restricted  to  the  classification  of 
technical  terms  in  relation  to  a  particular  branch 
of  science.  In  a  scientific  sense,  then,  the  word 
Nomenclature  finds  a  ready  acceptance  ;  but  for  the 
classification  of  the  names  of  persons,  of  places,  and 
of  things,  it  is  altogether  too  pedantic.  A  young 
friend  of  the  author  the  other  day,  on  being  in- 
formed, in  answer  to  his  inquiry,  that  this  work 
would  probably  be  entitled  "  The  Curiosities  of 
Nomenclature,"  promptly  asked  whether  it  might 
not  be  as  well  to  explain,  first  of  all,  what  the  word 
Nomenclature  meant.  Now,  the  author  does  not 
believe  for  one  moment  that  any  intelligent  person 


6  Introduction. 

who  took  up  this  volume  would  be  at  a  loss  to  judge 
of  its  contents  from  the  title,  that  is,  supposing  the 
word  Nomenclature  appeared  on  the  page ;  never- 
theless, his  young  friend's  suggestion  reminded  him 
that  a  book  intended  not  for  the  scientific  and 
learned,  but  for  general  reference,  should  bear  a 
title  easily  comprehended  by  all  classes  of  the  com- 
munity. The  title  originally  chosen  has,  therefore, 
been  rejected  in  favour  of  one  less  pretentious  and 
more  matter-of-fact :  if  it  is  not  sufficiently  expres- 
sive, the  fault  must  be  attributed  to  the  poverty  of 
the  English  language. 

Of  all  the  "  Ologies,"  PHILOLOGY,  or  the  science  of 
language,  is  the  most  seductive ;  and  that  branch  of 
it  known  as  ETYMOLOGY,  which  traces  the  derivation 
and  combination  of  the  words  of  a  language  from 
its  primary  roots,  possesses  an  interest — one  might 
almost  say  a  fascination — for  all,  when  once  the 
attention  has  been  arrested  by  it.  This  fact  is 
proved  by  the  popularity  of  Archbishop  Trench's 
published  lectures  on  "  The  Study  of  Words,"  which 
have  now  reached  a  nineteenth  edition.  But  it  is 
not  to  an  examination  of  the  dictionary  words  of  the 
English  language  that  the  present  volume  is  devoted. 
Bearing  in  mind  that  several  excellent  works  already 
exist  on  this  subject,  the  author  has  occupied 
himself  in  the  following  pages  exclusively  with  the 
etymology,  and  significance  of  NAMES — of  personal 
names,  comprising  Surnames,  Sobriquets,  Pseu- 
donyms, Nicknames,  Class  Names,  and  Professional 
Designations;  of  names  of  places,  including  the 


Introduction.  7 

Countries  of  the  World,  with  the  principal 
Seas,  Islands,  Gulfs,  Straits,  &c.,  the  United 
States  of  North  America,  the  Counties  of  England 
and  Wales,  and  particularly  the  Districts,  Streets, 
Squares,  Churches,  and  Public  Buildings  of  London  ; 
of  the  names  of  Religious  Sects  and  Political  Fac- 
tions ;  of  the  names  of  Inns  and  Taverns ;  in  addition 
to  the  names  of  an  infinite  number  of  objects  with 
which  everyone  is  familiar,  but  whose  actual  signifi- 
cance is  comprehended  only  by  a  few. 

As  to  the  utility  of  such  a  work,  a  brief  glance  into 
these  pages  may  convince  the  reader  that  the  subject 
of  NAMES  is  fraught  with  much  popular  interest. 
Take  the  names  of  London  streets.  How  many 
among  the  thousands  who  follow  their  daily  occupa- 
tions within  sight  of  the  gilt  cross  of  St.  Paul's, 
ever  reflect  that  the  name  of  each  street  they  fre- 
quent and  pass  by  the  way,  points  to  the  origin  of 
the  street  itself;  and  that,  were  they  to  cultivate  a 
practical  acquaintance  with  those  names,  their  know- 
ledge of  English  History  and  Sociology  might  be 
considerably  enlarged,  with  a  result  that  they  would 
be  brought  to  ask  themselves  at  length  how  they 
could  have  been  possessed  of  "  souls  so  dead"  as 
never  to  have  entered  upon  such  a  profitable  field 
of  inquiry  before  ?  Whitefriars,  Blackfriars,  and 
Austin  Friars,  carry  us  back  in  imagination  to  the 
days  of  yore  ;  the  friars  have  long  returned  to  the 
dust,  but  the  localities  they  inhabited  are  still  iden- 
tified with  their  existence  by  the  names  they  bear. 
Yet  these  are  possibly  the  only  thoroughfares  in  the 


8  Introduction. 

City — with  the  exception  of  such  as  have  derived 
their  names  from  a  neighbouring  church,  public 
building,  or  private  mansion — concerning  which  the 
average  Londoner  can  express  himself  with  any 
degree  of  certainty :  if  he  venture  a  guess  at  the 
rest,  it  is  safe  to  assert  that  he  will  be  open  to 
correction.  The  like  observation  applies  to  public 
buildings. 

If  the  question  were  asked,  for  example,  why 
the  well-known  Ships'  Registry  Offices  over  the 
Royal  Exchange  are  universally  referred  to  as 
"  Lloyd's,"  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  City 
men  would  avail  themselves  of  the  very  plausible 
suggestion  that  the  system  of  Marine  Insurance  was 
first  established,  either  there  or  elsewhere,  by  some 
person  named  Lloyd.  True,  a  certain  Edward  Lloyd 
had  a  remote  connection  with  the  enterprise ;  but  he 
was  a  coffee-house  keeper,  who  probably  knew  no 
more  about  ships  and  their  tonnage  than  "  Jona- 
than/' another  noted  London  coffee-house  keeper, 
after  whom  the  Stock  Exchange  was  formerly  desig- 
nated, knew  about  " bulls"  and  "  bears."  Again,  it 
is  not  every  one  who  could  account,  off  hand,  for 
such  familiar  names  as  Scotland  Yard,  Bedlam, 
Doctors'  Commons,  the  Charterhouse,  the  churches 
of  St.  Mary-Axe,  St.  Clement-Danes,  St.  Hallow's- 
Barking,  or  St.  Catherine  Cree.  A  few  barristers 
would,  doubtless,  be  in  a  position  to  inform  us 
wherefore  our  seminaries  for  the  study  of  the  law 
were  originally  styled  "  Inns  of  Court  "  ;  but  the 
ordinary  inquirer,  left  to  his  own  resources,  might 


Introduction.  g 

find  the  problem  somewhat  difficult  to  solve.  Surely 
they  were  not  at  one  time  inns  ?  and  if  so,  whence 
came  the  designation  Inns  of  Court  ?  Did  the  Court 
flunkeys  patronize  them,  perhaps?  Or,  more  likely, 
did  the  sovereign,  attended  by  the  Court,  take  a  fancy 
to  sleeping  beneath  the  roof  of  each  for  once  in  a  way, 
after  the  manner  of  Queen  Elizabeth  ?  And,  speak- 
ing about  inns,  every  Londoner  is,  of  course,  aware 
of  the  one-time  existence  of  "  La  Belle  Sauvage  "  on 
the  north  side  of  Ludgate  Hill,  albeit  the  origin  of 
this  sign  has  generally  been  ascribed  to  Pocahontas, 
of  Virginia,  who  accompanied  her  husband,  John 
Rolfe,  back  to  England  in  the  year  1616,  and,  as 
tradition  has  it,  put  up  at  this  famous  old  coaching- 
house.  Moreover,  Messrs.  Cassell  and  Co.,  whose  pre- 
mises occupy  the  site,  and  are  approached  from  La 
Belle  Sauvage  Yard,  have  profited  by  the  popular 
misconception  to  the  extent  of  adopting  the  figure  of 
a  female  partly  clad  in  skins  as  their  trade-mark. 
Then,  again,  who  has  not  heard  of  "  The  Tabard"? 
and  whence  did  that  derive  its  sign?  Among  other 
celebrated  inns  still  preserved  to  us,  we  have 
"  Jack  Straw's  Castle  "  on  Hampstead  Heath.  But 
who  was  Jack  Straw  ?  and  had  he  ever  a  castle 
thereabouts  ?  If  the  pages  of  English  History  do 
not  furnish  a  clue  to  this  person,  the  following 
pages  will. 

A  great  deal  of  the  early  history  of  England  can 
be  gleaned  from  the  names  of  the  counties  into 
which  this  country  is  divided.  The  terms  Shire 
and  County  are  so  far  synonymous  in  that  they 


io  Introduction. 

indicate  a  portion  of  land  distinguished  by  a  par- 
ticular name ;  yet,  etymologically  considered,  they 
are  widely  different.  Although  every  shire  is  a 
county,  it  is  not  every  county  to  whose  individual 
name  the  word  "  shire"  may  be  added.  The  latter  is 
essentially  Anglo-Saxon,  denoting  a  division  of  land 
possessed  by  an  earl,  and  wherever  it  occurs  it  points 
conclusively  to  the  Saxon  occupation  of  England. 
Certainly,  we  do  not  speak  of  Essex-shire,  Middle- 
sex-shire, or  Sussex-shire,  because  the  Saxon  terri- 
tories referred  to,  as  well  as  their  relative  positions, 
are  fully  indicated  in  the  names  themselves.  Neither 
are  we  accustomed  to  allude  to  Surrey-shire,  for  the 
reason  that  the  word  Surrey  expressed  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  for  the  land  south  of  the  rey,  or  river, 
comprising,  as  it  did,  that  large  tract  of  land  de- 
scribed as  Wessex,  or  the  land  of  the  West  Saxons, 
now  divided  into  six  southern  shires.  The  fact  is, 
Wessex  was  the  great  kingdom  of  the  Saxons  in  this 
country,  whereas  Essex,  Middlesex,  and  Sussex  were 
but  petty  kingdoms.  Consequently,  in  the  kingdom 
of  Wessex  it  was  that  earldoms  were  first  created, 
and  lands  appertaining  thereto  were  literally  scired, 
or  sheared  off.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  be 
ridiculous  in  the  extreme,  quite  apart  from  the 
unfamiliarity  of  such  an  expression,  to  speak  of 
Kent-shire,  because  there  is  nothing  in  the  name, 
and  but  little  in  the  history  of  the  county,  that  in- 
vests it  with  a  Saxon  interest.  It  is  only  from  habit, 
too,  or  because  the  name  lends  itself  to  the  euphony, 
that  Devon  is  denominated  a  shire  ;  for  not  only 


Introduction.  1 1 

is  this  a  Celtic  name,  but  the  Saxons  scarcely 
penetrated  into,  and  certainly  never  occupied  any 
considerable  portion  of,  the  county.  The  England 
of  the  Saxons,  therefore,  is  to  be  distinguished 
wherever  the  word  "  shire  "  appears  as  part  of  the 
name  of  a  county. 

If  the  foregoing  paragraph  be  deemed  interesting 
to  the  general  inquirer,  a  careful  digest  of  the 
chapter  on  "  The  Countries  of  the  World  "  should 
prove  most  instructive.  With  a  few  exceptions  only, 
the  names  of  the  different  countries  of  the  Old  World 
afford  us  an  indication  of  their  original  inhabitants, 
or  the  rude  tribes  that  overran  them.  In  regard  to 
the  New  World,  such  names  of  countries  as  are  not 
of  native  origin  invariably  point  to  the  nationality 
of  the  navigators  who  discovered  them  or  of  the 
adventurers  who  explored  and  colonized  them. 
The  maritime  enterprise  of  the  Spanish  and  Portu- 
guese is  in  nothing  so  evident  as  in  the  territories 
named  in  accordance  with  their  respective  languages 
in  South  and  Central  America,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  islands  discovered  by  them  in  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Oceans.  And,  as  a  set-off  against  the 
shameful  treatment  by  the  Spaniards  of  Christopher 
Columbus,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  whole 
of  the  North  American  territory  now  embraced  in  the 
United  States  was  originally  designated  Columbia  in 
his  honour,  which  name  has  been  preserved  in  the 
Western  portion  of  the  continent  known  as  British 
Columbia.  A  few  Spanish  names  still  linger 
in  North  America,  notably  California,  Labrador, 


12  Introduction. 

Florida,  Nevada,  Oregon,  and  Colorado.  But  the 
Spaniards  were  rovers  rather  than  settlers ;  where- 
fore they  contented  themselves  with  maintaining 
their  national  reputation  as  successful  navigators  by 
giving  names  to  the  countries  they  discovered,  and 
establishing  a  lucrative  trading  monopoly  in  that 
portion  of  the  Caribbean  Sea  which  formerly  bore 
the  name  of  the  Spanish  Main. 

On  the  contrary,  the  English  and  French  have 
distinguished  themselves  always,  and  all  the  world 
over,  as  colonists  ;  so  that,  saving  those  States  of 
North  America  which  have  received  the  native 
names  of  the  great  lakes  and  rivers,  we  can  discover 
exactly  which  were  colonized  by  the  one  nation  and 
which  by  the  other.  Moreover,  the  English  and 
French  have  generally  exercised  the  common  trait  of 
honouring  the  mother  country  by  naming  a  new 
colony  or  a  newly-discovered  island  after  the 
reigning  monarch  or  a  distinguished  countryman. 
A  similar  trait  in  the  Dutch  character  presents 
itself  in  the  repetition  of  the  names  of  the  native 
places  of  their  navigators  and  colonists;  while  the 
Spaniards  and  Portuguese  have  displayed  a  tendency 
for  naming  an  island  discovered  or  a  river  explored 
by  them  in  a  manner  commemorative  of  the  day 
that  witnessed  the  event.  At  the  same  time,  it 
would  not  be  wise  to  conjecture,  merely  from  the 
name,  that  Columbus  discovered  the  island  of 
Trinidad  on  the  Feast  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  because 
he  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  Therefore,  it  behoves  the 
curious  inquirer  to  make  himself  acquainted  with 


Introduction,  13 

the  circumstances  under  which  our  geographical 
names  have  arisen,  so  as  to  avoid  falling  into  error. 
As  well  might  he  maintain,  without  the  requisite 
knowledge,  that  the  Canary  Islands  owed  their 
designation  to  the  birds  that  have  so  long  been 
exported  thence;  for  although  such  a  conclusion  were 
extremely  plausible,  he  would  still  be  at  a  loss  to 
know  how  the  canaries  came  by  their  name  in  the 
first  place. 

A  like  difficulty  is  liable  to  be  encountered  relative 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  A  particularly  smart  boy 
might,  indeed,  be  expected  to  inform  us,  as  the 
outcome  of  a  hastily-formed  opinion,  that  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  were  so  called  because  a  shipwrecked 
crew  who  once  found  a  refuge  thereon  continued  to 
support  themselves  until  such  time  as  they  were 
rescued  by  a  passing  vessel  upon  sandwiches.  The 
bare  idea  may  be  laughed  at ;  but  it  is  no  more 
preposterous  than  that  the  Canary  Islands  received 
their  name  from  the  birds  that  are  found  there  in 
such  plenty.  The  question  at  issue  furnishes  an 
example  as  to  how  a  name  may  be  perpetuated  in 
different  ways.  Thus,  Captain  Cook  named  the 
Sandwich  Islands  in  compliment  to  John  Montague, 
fourth  Earl  of  Sandwich  and  First  Lord  of  the 
Admiralty,  who  took  his  title  from  Sandwich,  or,  as 
the  etymology  of  this  place  implies,  the  "  sand 
town,"  one  of  the  ancient  Cinque  Ports  in  Kent. 
An  inveterate  gamester  was  this  Lord  Sandwich ;  so 
much  so  that  he  would  sit  at  the  gaming-table  for 
thirty  hours  and  more  at  a  stretch,  never  desisting 


14  Introduction. 

from  the  game  to  partake  of  a  meal,  but  from  time 
to  time  ordering  the  waiter  to  bring  him  some  slices 
of  meat  placed  between  two  slices  of  thin  bread, 
from  which  circumstance  this  convenient  form  of 
refreshment  received  the  name  of  Sandwiches. 

Mention  of  sandwiches  reminds  us  that  very  few 
tradesmen  possess  the  remotest  idea  of  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  names  of  the  various  commodities  in 
which  they  deal.  Ask  a  purveyor  of  ham  and  beef 
to  explain  the  origin  of  the  word  Sandwich,  and  he 
will  be  quite  unable  to  furnish  an  answer.  Put  a 
similar  question  to  a  Tobacconist,  and  it  will  be 
found  that  he  has  never  interested  himself  to  the 
extent  of  inquiring  what  the  word  Tobacco  means,  not 
to  speak  of  the  names  of  the  different  kinds  of  to- 
bacco. A  Haberdasher,  again,  would  be  sorely 
perplexed  to  account  for  his  individual  trade-name ; 
so  would  a  Milliner,  so  would  a  Grocer,  so  would  a 
Tailor ;  and  so  would  almost  every  one  who  passes 
for  an  intelligent  citizen,  yet  whose  reflections  have 
never  been  directed  toward  those  trifling  concerns 
which,  as  one  might  be  led  to  suppose,  are  most 
immediately  interesting  to  him.  And  so  we  might 
go  on  multiplying  examples  until  this  Introduction 
reached  an  altogether  inordinate  length,  with  no 
other  object  than  to  arouse  the  reader's  interest  in 
the  pages  that  follow.  But  the  necessity  for  a  more 
extended  Introduction  does  not  arise.  The  scope 
of  this  work  will  be  sufficiently  indicated  by  the 
Analytical  Table  of  Contents ;  but  even  there  a  very 
large  number  of  names  incidentally  referred  to  in 


Introduction.  15 

the  text  have  not  been  included.  The  Index  may  be 
somewhat  more  to  the  purpose,  inasmuch  as  every 
item  set  forth  therein  will  be  found  not  merely 
alluded  to  but  discussed  in  the  book;  and  to  the 
book  itself  the  reader  is  now  referred. 

L.  W. 
LONDON. 
1891. 


CONTENTS. 


THE  COUNTRIES  OF  THE   WORLD. 

Asia,  Africa,  Europe,  America  ;  Palestine,  Asia  Minor  ; 
Persia,  Arabia,  India,  Hindustan,  Turkestan,  Af- 
ghanistan, Beloochistan,  Kurdestan  ;  China,  Siberia, 
Russia,  Circassia,  Crimea,  Finland,  Sweden,  Norway  ; 
Britain,  England,  Scotland,  Caledonia,  Ireland,  The 
Emerald  Isle,  Cambria,  Wales  ;  Saxony,  Gaul^  France, 
Normandy,  Brittany  ;  Germany,  Holland,  Belgium, 
Denmark,  Jutland,  Prussia,  Bohemia,  Hungary,  Poland, 
Servia,  Montenegro,  Bosnia,  Moldavia,  Moravia,  Bul- 
garia, Roumania,  Turkey,  Ottoman  Empire,  Greece  ; 
Austria,  Italy,  Switzerland,  Spain,  Portugal;  Algiers, 
Morocco,  Barbary,  Sahara,  Soudan,  Egypt,  Sene- 
gambia,  Gold  Coast,  Guinea,  Zanzibar,  Zululand,  Trans- 
vaal, Natal,  Orange  Free  States,  Cape  Colony,  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  ;  Cape  Horn,  Patagonia,  Chili,  Argentine 
Republic,  Brazil,  Bolivia,  Uraguay,  Paraguay,  Peru, 
Pernambuco,  Ecuador,  Columbia,  Venezuela ;  Panama, 
Costa  Rica,  Honduras,  Nicaragua,  Mosquito  Coast, 
Yutacan,  Ouatemala,  Mexico,  California,  British 
Columbia ;  Canada,  Manitoba,  Ontario,  Quebec, 
Labrador,  Greenland,  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia, 
Florida ;  Virginia,  Maryland,  Baltimore,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Georgia,  Carolina,  Louisiana,  Maine,  New 
Orleans,  New  Hampshire,  New  Jersey,  New  York, 
Michigan,  Indiana,  Alabama,  Nebraska,  Ohio,  Massa- 
2 


i8  Contents. 

PAGB 

chusetts,  Wisconsin,  Kansas,    Tennessee,    Kentucky, 
Mississippi,  Missouri,  Minnesota,  Arkansas,  Illinois, 
Oregon,   Texas,   Vermont,   Colorado,    Nevada,    Con- 
necticut,   Iowa,   Astoria,    Delaware  ;  Lake   Superior, 
Lake  Erie,  Lake  Huron,  Lake  Ontario,  Niagara,  Lake 
Michigan,  Lake  Winnipeg,  Great  Bear  Lake,  Great 
Salt    Lake  ;     The    Arctic    Ocean,   Antarctic    Ocean, 
Atlantic  Ocean,  Pacific  Ocean,  Caribbean  Sea,  Medi- 
terranean   Sea,   Adriatic    Sea,    Baltic    Sea ;    German 
Ocean,  Indian  Ocean,  Irish  Sea;  White  Sea,   Black 
Sea,  Red  Sea,   Green   Sea,  Yellow  Sea,  Dead   Sea, 
Caspian  Sea,  Sea  of  Marmora  ;  The  Gulf  Stream,  The 
Horse  Latitudes,  The  Spanish  Main;  Hudson's  Bay, 
James'  Bay,  Barrow's    Strait,  All  Saints'   Bay,    Gulf 
of  St.   Lawrence,   Gulf  of  Carpentaria,  Torres  Strait, 
Botany  Bay;  St.  George's  Channel,  The  Skagerrack, 
Zuyder  Zee  ;  Bay  of  Biscay  ;  Strait  of  Gibraltar,  The 
Bosphorus,  The  Dardanelles ;  Australia,  New  Holland, 
New  Zealand,  Tasmania,  Van  Dieman's  Land,  Society 
Islands,  Friendly  Islands,  Christmas  Island,  Sandwich 
Islands,  Philippine  Islands,  Caroline  Islands  ;  Papua, 
Java,    Sumatra,    Borneo,    Japan,    Formosa,    Ceylon, 
Mauritius,  Isle  of  Bourbon,  Madagascar  ;  Tierra  del 
FuegOj   Island  of  Desolation,  Hanover   Island,  Ade- 
laide Island,  Juan  Fernandez,   Ladrone  Islands,   Pit- 
cairn's    Island,    Easter    Island,     Vancouver     Island, 
Queen    Charlotte   Island,    Prince    of  Wales    Island, 
Aleutian    Islands ;     Barrow    Island,    Baring    Island, 
Parry  Island,  Baffin  Land,  Banks  Land,  Newfoundland, 
Rhode    Island,    Long    Island,  Bermuda  Islands,  San 
Salvador,  Jamaica,  Cuba,  Hayti,  Barbadoes,  Dominica, 
Porto  Rico,  Trinidad,  Tobago    Island,  St.  Kitt's  Is- 
land ;  Ascension  Island,  St.  Helena,  Tristan  d'Acunha, 
Madeira,  Majorca,  Minorca,  Balearic  Islands,  Corsica, 
Sardinia,  Capri,  Sicily,  Malta,  Candia, Cyprus,  Rhodes; 
Belleisle,  Jersey,  Isle  of  Wight,  Gothland,  Heligoland, 
Anglesea,  Isle  of  Man,  Hebrides,  Orkney  Isles,  Shet- 
land Isles,  Iceland,  Spitzbergen,  Nova  Zembla     .        .     35 


Contents.  19 

THE  MONTHS  AND  DA  YS  OF  THE   WEEK. 

I'AGE 

January,  February,  March,  April,  May,  June,  July,  August, 
September,  October,  November,  December ;  Sunday, 
Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday,  Thursday,  Friday, 
Saturday 59 

CREEDS,  SECTS,  AND  DENOMINATIONS. 

Theism,  Deism,  Atheism,  Pantheism,  Agnosticism,  Secu- 
larism, Utilitarianism,  Materialism,  Rationalism  ; 
Monotheism,  Mosaism,  Judaism,  Paganism,  Poly- 
theism ;  Zoroastrians,  Brahmins,  Buddhists,  Mahom- 
medans,  Mussulmans,  Islam  ;  Christians,  Pharisees, 
Nazarenes,  Gnostics,  Aquarians,  Arians,  Luciferians, 
Donatists,  Macedonians,  Apollinarians  ;  Catholics  ; 
Greek  Church,  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Church  of 
England,  Gallican  Church,  LutheranChurch  ;  Protes- 
tants, Calvinists,  Huguenots,  Wycliffites,  Gospellers, 
Lollards,  Albigenses,  Waldenses,  Camisards,  Hussites, 
Bedlamites,  Moravians  ;  Adamites,  Libertines,  Jan- 
senists,  Jesuists,  Gabrielit-es,  Labadists,  Socinians, 
Arminians,  New  Christians,  Old  Catholics  ;  Scotists, 
Thomists,  Sabbatarians,  Fifth  Monarchy  Men, 
Muggletonians ;  Seekers,  Quakers,  Shakers,  Mormons, 
Peculiar  People,  Faith  Healers,  Irvingites,  Humani- 
tarians, Sacramentarians,  Plymouth  Brethren,  Per- 
fectionists, Hopkinsians  ;  Scottish  Covenanters, 
Presbyterians,  Cameronians,  Macmillanites,  Mori- 
sonians,  Free  Church  of  Scotland;  Puritans,  Non- 
conformists, Conformists,  Dissenters,  Sectarians, 
Independents,  Congregationalists,  Unitarians,  Trini- 
tarians, Baptists,  Anabaptists,  Methodists,  Wesleyan 
Methodists,  Primitive  Methodists  ;  High  Church,  Low 
Church,  Broad  Church,  Latitudinarism,  Ritualists, 
Puseyites,  Tractarians  .  .  .  .  .  .  .61 


2O  Contents. 

TA  VERN  SIGNS. 

The  Green  Man,  The  Green  Man  and  Still,  The  Red 
Lion,  The  Bear  and  Ragged  Staff,  The  Boar's  Head, 
The  Black  Bull,  The  Talbot,  The  Chequers  ;  The 
White  Rose,  The  Red  Rose,  The  Star ;  The  White 
Swan,  The  White  Swan  and  Antelope,  The  White 
Hart,  The  Sun,  The  Three  Suns,  The  White  Lion, 
The  Eagle,  The  Blue  Boar,  The  Red  Dragon,  The 
Greyhound,  The  Rose,  The  Thistle,  The  Shamrock  ; 
The  Crown,  The  Rose  and  Crown,  The  Crown  and 
Sceptre,  The  Crown  and  Anchor  ;  The  Earl  of  March  ; 
The  Hare  and  Hounds,  The  Tally  Ho  !  The  Fox  in 
the  Hole  ;  The  Angel,  The  Salutation,  The  Three 
Kings,  The  Cross  Keys,  The  Mitre  ;  The  Turk's  Head, 
The  Saracen's  Head,  The  Golden  Cross,  The  Half 
Moon  ;  The  Swan,  The  Pheasant,  The  Peacock  ;  The 
St.  George,  The  George  and  Dragon,  The  Green 
Dragon,  The  George,  The  King's  Arms,  The  Queen's 
Arms,  The  Freemasons'  Arms,  The  Coachmakers5 
Arms,  The  Saddlers'  Arms,  The  Carpenters'  Arms  ; 
The  Garter,  The  Star  and  Garter;  The  Leg  and 
Star,  The  Cat  and  Fiddle,  The  Bag  o'  Nails, 
The  Goat  and  Compass,  The  Iron  Devil,  The  Bull 
and  Mouth,  The  Bull  and  Gate,  The  Lion  and  Key, 
The  Catherine  Wheel,  The  Plume  and  Feathers, 
The  Bully  Ruffian,  The  Blue  Pig,  The  Pig 
and  Whistle ;  The  Coach  and  Horses,  The  Pack 
Horse  ;  The  Bear,  The  Dog  and  Duck,  The  Bowling 
Green  ;  The  Grapes,  The  Castle,  The  Globe,  The 
Spread  Eagle,  The  Yorkshire  Stingo  ;  The  Bell,  The 
Barley-mow,  The  Old  Hat,  The  Ram  and  Teazle, 
The  Bricklayers'  Arms,  The  Cricketers'  Arms,  The 
Black  Jack  ;  The  Royal  Oak,  The  Boscobel,  The 
Palmerston,  The  Marquis  of  Granby,  The  Portobello 
Arms,  The  Nelson,  The  Wellington,  The  Trafalgar, 
The  Waterloo,  The  Ship,  The  King's  Head,  The 
Queen's  Head,  The  Victoria,  The  Prince  Albert,  The 
Prince  of  Wales'  Feathers 77 


Contents.  21 

ROYAL  SURNAMES. 

I'AGfi- 

Alfred  the  Great,  Edward  the  Martyr,  Ethelred  the  Un- 
ready, Edmund  Ironsides,  Edgar  Atheling,  Harold 
Harefoot,  Edward  the  Confessor;  William  the  Con- 
queror, William  Rufus,  Henry  Beauclerc,  Richard 
Cceur  de  Lion,  William  the  Lion,  John  Lackland, 
Edward  Longshanks,  Edward  the  Black  Prince,  John 
of  Gaunt,  Henry  Bolyigbroke ;  Bluff  King  Hal, 
Defender  of  the  Faith,  The  White  Queen,  Bloody 
Mary,  Good  Queen  Bess  ;  The  Lord  Protector,  The 
Merry  Monarch,  The  Sailor  King  ;  Plantagenet, 
Tudor,  Stuart ;  Charlemagne,  The  She-Wolf  of  France, 
Pedro  the  Cruel,  Ivan  the  Terrible,  Frederick  Barba- 
rossa,  Ferdinand  Bomba,  Egalite  Philippe  .  .  -87 

NATIONAL  NICKNAMES. 

Brother  Jonathan,  Uncle  Sam,  Yankee  ;  John  Bull,  Mrs. 
Grundy,  The  British  Matron  ;  Tommy  Atkins  ;  Pat, 
Sandie,  Taffy  ;  John  Chinaman,  Pigtails,  Pale  Faces, 
Redskins  ;  Nigger,  Sambo,  Mulatto  .  .  .  -93 

BIRDS. 

Cuckoo,  Pewit,  Curlew,  Chickadee,  Whip-poor-will; 
Trumpeter,  Nightingale,  Night-jar,  Mocking-bird, 
Humming  -  bird,  Greenfinch,  Goldfinch,  Greenlet, 
Jay,  Bluebird,  Blackbird,  Starling,  Flamingo,  Oriole, 
Lyre-bird  ;  Red-poll,  Secretary-bird  ;  Birds  of  Para- 
dise, Love-birds  ;  Kingfisher  ;  Lapwing  ;  Wagtail, 
Scissors-bird,  Hang-bird,  Weaver-bird,  Tailor-bird ; 
Widow-bird,  Martin,  Muscovy  Duck  ;  Swift,  Pas- 
senger-pigeon ;  Skylark,  Chaffinch,  Diver,  Sandpiper, 
Chimney-swallow  ;  Horn-bill,  Boat-bill,  Spoon-bill, 
Duck-bill,  Cross-bill  ;  Pouter-pigeon,  Ring-dove, 
Wryneck,  Woodcock,  Woodpecker;  Guinea-fowl, 
Brahma-fowl,  Bantam,  Barb,  Turkey,  Baltimore- 
bird,  Canary,  Petrel $6 


22  Contents. 

RELIGIOUS  ORDERS. 

PAGE 

Monastery,  Convent,  Abbey,  Priory  ;  Monk,  Nun,  Friar  ; 
Dominicans  or  Black  Friars,  Franciscans  or  Grey 
Friars  ;  Carmelites  or  White  Friars,  Augustines  or 
Austin  Friars,  Trinitarians  or  Crutched  Friars  ; 
Observant  Friars,  Conventional  Friars  ;  Capuchin 
Friars,  Cordeliers ;  Benedictines,  Carthusians,  Cis- 
tercians, Cluniacs,  Bernardines,  Basilians,  Trappists  ; 
Jesuists,  Servites,  Passionists,  Redemptorists  .  .  100 

PAPER  AND  PRINTING. 

Paper,  Parchment;  Hand-paper,  Pot-paper,  Post- paper, 
Crown-paper,  Foolscap  ;  Nepaul-paper,  India-paper, 
Cap-paper,  Elephant,  Cartridge-paper,  Bristol-board  ; 
Folio,  Quarto,  Octavo,  Duodecimo  ;  Printer's  Devil ; 
Hansard,  Blue  Book,  Yellow  Book  ;  Book,  Leaf, 
Volume,  Library  ;  Pamphlet,  Brochure,  Chart,  Map, 
Atlas,  Cartoon,  Broadside,  Poster,  Stationery  .  .  104 

POLITICAL  NICKNAMES. 

Whigs,  Tories,  Liberals,  Conservatives,  Radicals, 
Socialists,  Levellers,  Democrats ;  Royalists,  Parlia- 
mentarians, Cavaliers,  Roundheads ;  Orangemen, 
Jacobites,  Peep-o'-day  Boys,  White  Boys,  Fenians, 
Irish  Invincibles,  Ribbonmen,  Emergency  Men; 
Separists,  Nationalists,  Parnellites,  Boycotters;  Sans- 
culottes, Red  Republicans,  The  Mountain,  The  Plain, 
Girondists  ;  The  Hats,  The  Caps,  Nihilists,  Carbo- 
nari, Black  Cloaks,  Lazzari,  Guelphs,  Ghibellines  ; 
Federals,  Confederates,  Copperheads,  Know-nothings  ; 
Chartists,  Jingoes,  Protectionists 109 

FLOWERS. 

Wall-flower,  Scarlet-runner,  Woodbine,  Honeysuckle, 
Corn-flower,  Blue-bottle,  Foxglove,  Hare-bell, 
Blue-bell  of  Scotland,  Globe-flower,  Coxcomb, 


Contents.  23 


PAGE. 


Tulip,  Jasmine ;  Bachelor's  Button,  Speedwell, 
Forget-me-not,  Mignonette,  Carnation,  Geranium, 
Crane's-bill  ;  Pansy,  Camellia,'  Dahlia,  Fuchsia, 
Victoria  Regia,  Adonis,  Hyacinth,  Aspasia,  Orchid, 
Sweet-brier,  Lilac,  Lavender  ;  Dog-rose,  Damask-rose, 
Cabbage-rose,  Christmas-rose,  Primrose  ;  Mayflower, 
Hawthorn,  Gilly-flower,  Tiger-flower,  Daffodil,  Holly- 
hock, Noon-tide,  Noon-flower,  Convolvulus,  Daisy, 
Buttercup,  Cowslip ;  Sun-flower,  Heliotrope,  Goldy- 
locks,  Marigold,  Chrysanthemum,  Rhododendron ; 
Passion-flower,  Stock 117 

THE  BIBLE. 

Bible,  Scriptures;  Septuagint,  Latin  Vulgate,  Douay  Bible, 
Rheims  Bible ;  King  James's  Bible,  The  Bishops'  Bible, 
Cranmer's  Bible,  The  Great  Bible,  Mazarin  Bible, 
Pearl  Bible,  Geneva  Bible,  Breeches  Bible,  Vinegar 
Bible,  Beer  Bible,  Treacle  Bible,  Whig  Bible,  Wicked 
Bible,  Bug  Bible  ;  "He"  Bible,  "She"  Bible;  Virginia 
Bible  ;  Pentateuch  ;  Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Num- 
bers, Deuteronomy ;  Apocrypha,  Apocalypse  .  .122 

WINES. 

Burgundy,  Champagne,  Pontac,  Moselle,  Johannisberg, 
Florence,  Falerian,  Montepulcino,  Malaga,  Sherry, 
Port  ;  Cyprus,  Malmsey,  Madeira,  Canary ;  Tokay, 
Claret,  Tent  Wine  ;  Sillery,  Pommery,  Moet  and 
Chandon  ;  Hippocras,  Badminton,  Negus,  Sack ;  Dry 
Wine,  Crusted  Port,  Three-Men  Wine  .  .  .127 

LITERARY  SOBRIQUETS. 

Gildas  the  Wise,  Venerable  Bede,  Century  White,  Monk 
Lewis,  Rainy-Day  Smith  ;  Silver-Tongued  Sylvester, 
The  Water  Poet,  The  Ettrick  Shepherd,  The  Bideford 
Postman,  The  Mad  Poet,  The  Quaker  Poet,  The 
Banker  Poet,  Anacreon  Moore,  Orion  Home,  The 


24  Contents. 

PAGE 

Farthing  Poet  ;  The  Wizard  of  the  North,  The 
Addison  of  the  North,  The  Minstrel  of  the  Border, 
The  Corn  Law  Rhymer 130 

THE  COUNTIES  OF  ENGLAND  AND   WALES. 

Northumberland,  Cumberland,  Westmoreland,  Durham, 
York  ;  Lancashire,  Cheshire,  Leicestershire,  Worces- 
tershire, Gloucestershire  ;  Lincoln,  Norfolk,  Suffolk, 
Essex,  Sussex,  Middlesex;  Surrey,  Kent,  Hampshire, 
Dorset,  Somerset,  Devon,  Cornwall,  Wiltshire,  Berk- 
shire, Buckingham  ;  Oxford,  Hertford,  Hereford, 
Stafford,  Bedford,  Cambridge,  Huntingdon,  Northamp- 
ton, Rutland,  Warwick,  Nottingham,  Derby,  Shrop- 
shire, Monmouth  ;  Anglesea,  Glamorgan,  Brecknock, 
Radnor,  Montgomery,  Denbigh,  Flint,  Carnarvon, 
Carmarthen,  Merioneth,  Cardigan,  Pembroke  .  .  133 

CARRIAGES. 

Phaeton,  Victoria,  Clarence,  Brougham,  Stanhope,  Sociable, 
Landau,  Tilbury ;  Dog-Cart,  Buggy,  Gig,  Sulky, 
Noddy,  Jaunting  Car,  Break  ;  Stage-Coach,  Omnibus ; 
Hackney-Coach,  Coach,  Cab,  Cabriolet,  Hansom  Cab  ; 
Hearse,  Pantechnicon -138 

DANCES. 

Terpsichorean  Art  ;  Morris  Dance,  Saraband,  Gavotte, 
Quadrille,  Lancers,  Polka,  Schottische,  Mazourka, 
Redowa,  Waltz ;  Country  Dance,  Roger  de  Coverley, 
Minuet,  Tarantella;  Cinderella  Dance,  Ball,  Ballet, 
Coryphee,  Phyrric  Dance  ;  Hornpipe,  Reel,  Jig, 
Breakdown .  .  .142 

PIGMENTS  AND  DYES. 

Umber,  Sienna,  Gamboge,  Krems  White,  Prussian  Blue, 
Saunders  Blue,  Chinese  Yellow,  Frankfort  Black, 


Contents.  25 

I'AGE 

Hamburg  Lake  ;  Ultramarine ;  Mazarine,  Pompa- 
dour, Cardinal,  Carnation,  Carmine,  Pink,  Purple, 
Scarlet,  Crimson ;  Cassius,  Magenta,  Vandyke  Brown, 
Sepia,  Sap  Green,  Emerald  Green,  Lamp  Black, 
Ivory  Black,  Isabel ,  146 

LONDON  DISTRICTS  AND  SUBURBS. 

London,  Thames ;  Westminster,  Belgravia,  Pimlico, 
Knightsbridge,  Mayfair,  Soho,  Bloomsbury,  Smith- 
field,  Clerkenwell,  Spa  Fields,  Bunhill  Fields,  Moor- 
fields,  Finsbury;  Shoreditch,  Whitechapel,  Goodman's 
Fields,  Shadwell,  Ratcliffe  Highway,  Stepney,  Spital- 
fields,  Bethnal  Green,  Hoxton,  De  Beauvoir  Town, 
Copenhagen  Fields,  Haggerstone,  Hackney,  Dalston, 
Stoke  Newington,  Southgate,  Kingsland,  Abney  Park, 
Green  Lanes,  Edmonton,  Ball's  Pond,  Mildmay  Park, 
Muswell  Hill,  Wood  Green,  Hornsey,  Canonbury, 
Highbury,  Holloway,  Barnsbury,  Islington  ;  King's 
Cross,  St.  Pancras,  Agar  Town,  Somers  Town, 
Camden  Town,  Kentish  Town,  Primrose  Hill,  High- 
gate,  Hampstead,  Frognal,  Bishop's  Wood,  Hendon  ; 
Gospel  Oak,  Chalk  Farm,  St.  John's  Wood,  Kilburn, 
Maida  Vale,  Marylebone,  Tyburn  ;  Bayswater,  Pad- 
dington,  Westbourne  Park,  Netting  Hill,  Shepherd's 
Bush  ;  Acton,  Gunnersbury,  Kew,  Brentford,  Isle- 
worth,  Staines,  Kingston,  Shepperton,  Twickenham, 
Richmond,  Sheen  ;  Chiswick,  Hammersmith,  Ken- 
sington, Brompton,  Chelsea,  Battersea,  Walham 
Green,  Parsons  Green,  Fulham,  Putney,  Wimbledon  ; 
Wands  worth,  Lambeth,  Vauxhall ;  Southwark,  Ber- 
mondsey,  Horsleydown,  Wai  worth,  The  Borough  ; 
Rotherhithe,  Deptford,  Greenwich,  Woolwich,  Isle 
of  Dogs,  New  Cross  ;  Lewisham,  Blackheath,  Eltham; 
Catford,  Beckenham,  Sydenham,  Forest  Hill,  Nor- 
wood, Dulwich,  Honor  Oak,  Nunhead,  Peckham, 
Brixton,  Camberwell,  Stockwell,  Kennington,  Newing- 
ton, St.  George's  Fields  ......  149 


26  Contents. 

BATTLES. 

PAGE 

The  Tearless  Victory,  The  Thundering  Legion,  The 
Hallelujah  Victory  ;  The  Battle  of  the  Standard,  The 
Battle  of  the  Herrings  ;  The  Battle  of  Spurs ;  The 
Battle  of  the  Spurs  of  Gold  ;  The  Battle  of  the 
Giants,  The  Battle  of  All  the  Nations  .  .  .  .163 

NOTABLE  DA  YS  AND  FESTIVALS. 

New  Year's  Day  ;  Whitsuntide,  Lammastide,  Martinmas, 
Candlemas  Day  ;  Lady  Day,  Midsummer,  Michaelmas, 
Christmas  Day ;  Innocents'  Day,  Epiphany,  Twelfth 
Night,  Distaff's  Day,  Rock  Day,  Plough  Monday, 
Handsel  Monday,  Boxing  Day  ;  Lent,  Shrove  Tues- 
day, Ash  Wednesday,  Passion  Sunday,  Passion  Week, 
Palm  Sunday,  Maunday-Thursday,  Good  Friday,  s 
Long  Friday,  Holy  Saturday  ;  Easter,  Passover,  Low 
Sunday,  Sexagesima  Sunday,  Quinquagesima  Sunday, 
Quadragesima  Sunday  ;  Pentecost,  Trinity  Sunday, 
Corpus  Christi,  Rogation  Sunday,  Rogation  Days, 
Ember  Days  ;  Ascension  Day,  The  Assumption,  Holy 
Cross  Day,  All  Saints'  Day,  All  Souls'  Day,  Allhal- 
lowes'  Day ;  Allhallowe'en,  Cracknut  Night ;  St. 
Valentine's  Day,  St.  Swithin's  Day,  St.  David's  Day, 
Comb's  Mass  ;  Primrose  Day,  Royal  Oak  Day,  Guy 
Fawkes'  Day  ;  Arbor  Day  ;  Forefathers'  Day,  Inde- 
pendence Day,  Evacuation  Day  ;  Mothering  Sunday  ; 
Grouse  Day,  Partridge  Day,  Sprat  Day  ;  Red  Letter 
Day,  Holiday 165 

TEXTILES,  EMBROIDERIES,  AND  LACE. 

Damask,  Muslin,  Nankeen,  Calico,  Cashmere,  Dimity, 
Valance,  Holland,  Cambric,  Shalloon,  Tarlatan, 
Worsted,  Cobourg,  Angola,  Frieze  ;  Cotton,  Silk,  Bro- 
cade, Damassin,  Sarsanet,  Mohair,  Moire-Antique, 
Chintz,  Taffety,  Linen,  Lawn,  Pompadour ;  Swans- 
down,  Moleskin,  Merino,  Alpaca  ;  Kersey,  Ging- 


Contents.  27 


PAGE 


ham,  Blankets  ;  Plush,  Velvet,  Velveteen,  Fustian, 
Grogram,  Corduroy  ;  Pina-cloth,  Grass-cloth,  T-cloth, 
Broadcloth,  Twill,  Tweed,  Plaid,  Check  ;  Embroidery, 
Tapestry,  Bayeaux  Tapestry,  Gobelin  Tapestry,  Arras  ; 
Lace,  Valenciennes,  Colbertine,  Point-lace,  Pillow- 
lace  ;  Tulle 176 

LITERACY  PSEUDONYMS. 

Voltaire,  Barry  Cornwall,  Yendys,  Nimrod,  Zadkiel  ; 
Knickerbocker,  Elia,  Boz,  Ouida,  George  Sand ; 
Artemus  Ward,  Mark  Twain  ;  F.  M.  Allen  .  .181 

COUNTERFEIT  PRESENTMENTS. 

Portrait,  Photograph,  Miniature,  Profile,  Silhouette; 
Talbotype,  Daguerreotype,  Ferriertype  ;  Carte-de- 
Visite,  Vignette,  Cabinet,  Kit-Kat,  Kit-Kat  Canvas  .  184 

LONDON  INNS  AND  GARDENS. 

The  Tabard  Inn,  "  La  Belle  Sauvage,"  The  Swan  with 
Two  Necks,  The  Elephant  and  Castle,  The  Horse 
Shoe,  The  Blue  Posts,  The  Black  Posts,  The  Three 
Chairmen,  The  Running  Footman  ;  The  Mother 
Red  Cap,  The  Mother  Shipton.  The  Adelaide,  The 
York  and  Anlaby,  Jack  Straw's  Castle,  The  Spaniards, 
The  Whittington  Stone,  The  Thirteen  Cantons,  The 
North  Pole,  The  South  Australian,  The  World's  End, 
The  Fulham  Bridge,  The  Devil,  The  Three  Nuns,  The 
White  Conduit  Tavern,  The  Belvedere,  The  Clown 
Tavern,  Hummuns's  ;  Sadler's  Wells,  Highbury  Barn, 
Vauxhall  Gardens,  Ranelagh  Gardens,  Cremorne 
Gardens 187 

SOBRIQUETS  AND  NICKNAMES. 

The  Mother  of  Believers,  Fair  Helen,  Fair  Rosamond,  The 
Fair  Maid  of  Kent,  The  Holy  Maid  of  Kent ;  Black 


28  Contents. 

PAGE 

Agnes,  Fair  Maiden  Lilliard,  The  Maid  of  Orleans, 
The  Maid  of  Saragossa ;  The  Lady  Freemason,  The 
The  Swedish  Nightingale,  The  Jersey  Lily  ;  The 
Weeping  Philosopher,  The  Laughing  Philosopher, 
The  Subtle  Doctor,  The  Angelic  Doctor,  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  ;  Robin  Hood,  Little  John,  Will  Scarlet, 
Friar  Tuck  ;  Sixteen-string  Jack,  Spring-heel  Jack  ; 
Gentleman  Jack,  Gentleman  Smith,  Admirable  Crich- 
ton,  Fighting  Fitzgerald,  Romeo  Coates,  Beau  Field- 
ing, Beau  Brummell,  Beau  Nash,  The  King  of  Bath  ; 
The  Factory  King,  The  Railway  King,  The  Paper 
King,  The  Nitrate  King ;  The  Man  of  Ross,  The 
People's  Friend,  The  Musical  Small-Coal  Man,  Tom 
Folio  ;  The  Infant  Roscius  ;  Single-Speech  Hamilton, 
Starvation  Dundas,  Orange  Peel,  The  Heaven-Sent 
Minister,  Finality  John ;  Dizzy,  The  Grand  Old  Man, 
Bookstall  Smith ;  The  Dancing  Chancellor,  Praise- 
God  Barebones ;  Sinner-Saved  Huntingdon,  Orator 
Henley  ;  Memory  Woodfall,  Memory-Corner  Thomp- 
son ;  Dirty  Dick  ;  Capability  Brown,  George  Ranger, 
The  Jubilee  Plunger ;  Long  Peter,  Magdalen  Smith, 
Claude  Lorraine,  Tintoretto.  II  Furioso;  The  Scottish 
Hogarth,  The  Liverpool  Landseer  ;  The  Liberator  ; 
The  Pathfinder ;  Yankee  Jonathan  .  .  -194 

THE  INNS  OF  COURT. 

Lincoln's  Inn,  Gray's  Inn,  Furnival's  Inn,  Clifford's  Inn  ; 
Serjeants'  Inn  ;  Barnard's  Inn,  Staple  Inn,  Clements 
Inn,  Dane's  Inn,  New  Inn,  Thavie's  Inn  ;  Benchers  .  208 

RACES. 
Goodwood,  Ascot,  Epsom,  Derby,    Oaks,  Doncaster  St. 

Leger  ;  Hurdle  Race,  Steeplechase  ;  Sweepstake         .  210 

LONDON  CHURCHES  AND  BUILDINGS. 
Westminster    Abbey,   The   Temple,    Savoy    Chapel,    St. 
Clement-Danes,   St.  Mary-le-Bow,  St.  Mary-Axe,  St. 


Contents.  29 


PAGE 


Catherine  Cree,  St.  Catherine  Coleman,  St.  Margaret 
Pattens,  St.  Sepulchre,  St.  Bride's,  St.  Andrew  Under- 
shaft,  Allhallowes,  Barking ;  St.  Olave's,  The  White 
Tower,  Bloody  Tower,  Beauchamp  Tower,  Traitors' 
Gate  ;  Newgate,  St.  John's  Gate,  Temple  Bar,  London 
Bridge,  Billingsgate,  The  Mint,  The  Trinity  House; 
Crosby  Hall,  Memorial  Hall,  The  Guildhall,  Doctors' 
Commons,  St.  Martin's-le-Grand  ;  The  Charter- 
house, Christ's  Hospital,  Bartholomew's  Hospital, 
Guy's  Hospital,  Bedlam,  The  Magdalen  Hospital ; 
St.  James's  Palace,  Buckingham  Palace,  Marlborough 
House,  Somerset  House,  Whitehall,  The  Horse 
Guards,  Dover  House,  York  House  ;  Devonshire 
House,  Apsley  House,  Chandos  House,  The  Albany, 
Burlington  House,  Soane  Museum ;  Painted  Hall, 
Vanburgh  Castle,  Rye  House ;  Bruce  Castle, 
Lincoln  House,  Sandford  House,  Cromwell  House, 
Ireton  House,  Lauderdale  House,  The  Clock 
House,  Rosslyn  House,  Erskine  House  ;  Strawberry 
Hill  ;  Orleans  House,  Essex  House,  Bristol  House, 
Craven  Cottage,  Munster  House,  Peterborough  House, 
Holland  House;  The  Albert  Hall,  Crystal  Palace,  Alex- 
andra Palace,  Olympia,  Egyptian  Hall,  St.  George's 
Hall,  St.  James's  Hall,  Willis's  Rooms,  Almack's 
Assembly  Rooms,  Exeter  Hall,  Madame  Tussaud's  ;  •« 
Scotland  Yard,  Lord's  Cricket  Ground,  TattersalPs  ; 
Lloyd's  Rooms  ;  Capel  Court,  The  Royal  Exchange, 
The  Stock  Exchange,  Bankers'  Clearing  House,  Rail- 
way Clearing  House 212 

CLASS  NAMES  AND  NICKNAMES. 

Spinster,  Widow,  Grass  Widow,  Chaperon,  Duenna, 
Dowager  ;  Blue  Stocking,  Abigail,  Grisette,  Colleen  ; 
Milliner,  Haberdasher,  Grocer,  Greengrocer,  Boniface, 
Ostler ;  Cordwainer,  Tailor,  Tallyman,  Uncle,  Barber, 
Barber-Surgeon ;  Arcadian,  Mentor,  Usher,  Bachelor  ; 
Beefeaters,  Police,  Bobbies,  Peelers,  Bow  Street 


30  Contents. 


PAGE 


Runners  ;  Mohawks,  Scourers  ;  Garrotters,  Sandbag- 
gers  ;  Fop,  Dandy,  Macaroni,  Masher  ;  Gipsies,  Bohe- 
mians ;  Teetotalers,  Rechabites,  Good  Templars  ;  Jack 
Tar,  Longshoreman,  Navvy,  J^hu,  Jerrybuilder, 
Journeyman  ;  Dun,  Man  of  Straw,  Costermonger, 
Pedlar,  Hawker,  Cheap  Jack,  Quack,  Merry  Andrew, 
Juggler,  Stump  Orator ;  Blackguard,  Scullion,  Scullery 
Maid;  Blackleg  ;  Plunger,  Bookmaker,  Welsher; 
Burglar,  Jack  Ketch  ;  Cockney  ;  Greenhorn,  Nincom- 
poop, Lunatic,  Dutchman,  Humbug  ....  228 

MALT  LIQUORS. 

Ale,  Beer,  Small  Beer  ;  Twopenny,  Half-and-Half,  Entire, 
Porter,  Stout,  Yorkshire  Stingo,  X  Ale  ;  Mum,  Lager- 
bier,  Bock-bier 241 

DIAMONDS  AND  PRECIOUS  STONES. 

Diamond  ;  The  Kohinoor,  Mattan,  Orloff,  Shah,  Star  of 
the  South,  Sauci,  Regent,  Pitt,  Pigott,  Dudley,  Twin 
Diamonds  ;  Turquoise,  Topaz,  Agate,  Amethyst,  Opal, 
Emerald,  Garnet,  Ruby,  Pearl ;  Carat  .  .  .  244 

NAVAL  AND  MILITARY  SOBRIQUETS. 

Manlius-Torquatus,  Charles  Martel,  Robert  the  Devil, 
The  Hammer  and  Scourge  of  England ;  Black 
Douglas,  Bell  the  Cat,  The  King  Maker,  Hotspur, 
The  Mad  Cavalier  ;  Ironsides,  The  Almighty  Nose  ; 
The  Bloody  Butcher,  Corporal  John,  The  Little 
Corporal  ;  The  Iron  Duke,  Marshal  Forward,  The 
Iron  Chancellor,  Helmuth  the  Taciturn ;  Stonewall 
Jackson,  Old  Hickory  ;  Foul- Weather  Jack,  Old  Grog, 
The  Silver  Captain 246 

MONEY. 

Money,  Sterling  Money;  Guinea,  Sovereign,  Crown,  Florin, 
Shilling,  Penny,  Halfpenny,  Farthing  ;  Ducat,  Noble, 


Contents.  31 

I'AGE 

Rose-Noble,  George-Noble ;  Angel,  Thistle-Crown, 
Jacobus,  Carollus,  Dolphin,  Louis  (Tor,  Napoleon  ; 
Franc,  Dollar,  Joachims-Thaler,  Thaler,  Kreuzer ; 
Wood's  Halfpence,  Greenbacks,  Bluebacks,  Abraham 
Nevvlands  ;  Bullion,  Stock,  Tally,  Consols,  Sinking 
Fund,  Tontine ;  Budget  ....  .252 

SPIRITS. 

Rum,  Whisky,  Brandy,  Gin  ;  Hollands,  Cognac,  Nantes, 
Old  Tom  ;  Punch,  Toddy,  Grog ;  Mountain  Dew, 
Glenlivet,  LL  Whisky 257 

LONDON  STREETS  AND  SQUARES. 

Fleet  Street,  Salisbury  Court,  Whitefriars  Street,  Black- 
friars  Road,  Ludgate  Hill,  Old  Bailey,  Friar  Street, 
Sermon  Lane,  Paul's  Chain,  Old  Change,  Paternoster 
Row,  Ave  Maria  Lane,  Creed  Lane,  Amen  Corner, 
Warwick  Lane,  Ivy  Lane  ;  Cheapside,  Bread 
Street,  Friday  Street,  Milk  Street;  Gutter  Lane, 
Foster  Lane,  Ironmonger  Lane,  Wood  Street,  Law- 
rence Lane,  Gresham  Street,  Lad  Lane,  Aldermanbury, 
King  Street,  Basinghall  Street,  Coleman  Street,  Old 
Jewry,  Poultry,  Bucklersbury,  King  William  Street, 
Queen  Victoria  Street ;  Cannon  Street,  Budge  Row, 
Watling  Street,  Walbrook,  College  Hill,  Oueenhithe, 
Dowgate,  Steelyard  ;  Gracechurch  Street,  Fenchurch 
Street,  Eastcheap,  Mincing  Lane,  Mark  Lane,  Rood 
Lane,  Seething  Lane,  Billiter  Street,  Minories,  Crutched 
Friars,  Aldgate;  Leadenhall  Street,  St.  Mary-Axe, 
Throgmorton  Street,  Nicholas  Lane,  Lothbury,  Thread- 
needle  Street,  Cornhill,  Birchin  Lane,  Change  Alley  ; 
Lombard  Street  ;  Austin  Friars,  Old  Broad  Street, 
Bishopsgate  Street,  St.  Helen's,  Devonshire  Square, 
Artillery  Lane,  Houndsditch,  Bevis  Marks,  Petticoat 
Lane,  Wormwood  Street,  Camomile  Street,  London 
Wall,  Barbican,  Beech  Lane,  Great  Winchester  Street, 
Moorgate  Street,  Cripplegate,  Whitecross  Street,  Red- 


32  Contents. 

cross  Street,  Playhouse  Yard,  Jewin  Street,  Aldersgate 
Street,  Bridgewater  Square,  Bartholomew  Close,  Cloth 
Fair,  Little  Britain,  Duke  Street,  Newgate  Street, 
Bath  Street,  King  Edward  Street,  Giltspur  Street, 
Knightrider  Street,  Pie  Corner,  Farringdon  Road, 
Saffron  Hill,  Ely  Place,  Hatton  Garden,  Holborn, 
Holborn  Bars,  Leather  Lane,  Fetter  Lane,  Brooke 
Street,  Greville  Street,  Gray's  Inn  Road,  Furnival 
Street,  Dyer's  Buildings,  Cursitor  Street,  Chancery 
Lane  ;  Southampton  Buildings,  Verulam  Buildings  ; 
Lincoln'^  Inn  Fields,  Great  Queen  Street,  Long 
Acre ;  Drury  Lane,  Denzil  Street,  Holies  Street, 
Clare  Market,  White  Hart  Street,  Catherine  Street, 
Portugal  Street,  Serle  Street,  Wych  Street,  Holywell 
Street,  Strand  ;  Essex  Street,  Milford  Lane,  Arundel 
Street,  Norfolk  Street,  Surrey  Street,  Howard  Street, 
Savoy  Street,  Wellington  Street,  Bow  Street,  Covent 
Garden,  York  Street,  King  Street,  Henrietta  Street, 
Tavistock  Street,  Bedford  Street,  Southampton  Street, 
Bedfordbury,  Maiden  Lane,  Chandos  Street,  Exeter 
Street,  Burleigh  Street,  Cecil  Street,  Salisbury  Street, 
Adelphi  Terrace,  Adam  Street,  John  Street,  Robert 
street,  James  Street  ;  George  Street,  Duke  Street, 
Buckingham  Street,  Villiers  Street  ;  Charing  Cross, 
Craven  Street,  Northumberland  Avenue ;  Trafalgar 
Square,  St.  Martin's  Lane,  King  William  Street, 
Seven  Dials,  Cranbourne  Street,  Leicester  Square, 
Coventry  Street,  Windmill  Street,  Haymarket,  Jermyn 
Street,  Arundel  Street,  Orange  Street,  Panton  Street, 
Suffolk  Street  ;  Spring  Gardens,  Pall  Mall,  King 
Street,  St.  James's  Square,  Bury  Street ;  Green  Park, 
Hyde  Park,  Rotten  Row,  Albert  Gate,  Marble  Arch, 
Rutland  Gate,  Cumberland  Gate,  Grosvenor  Gate, 
Stanhope  Gate,  Park  Lane,  Portugal  Street,  Chapel 
Street,  Chesterfield  Street,  Grosvenor  Square,  Hamil- 
ton Place  ;  Piccadilly  ;  Curzon  Street,  Charles  Street, 
Queen  Street,  Shepherd's  Market,  Hay  Hill,  Farm 
Street,  Berkeley  Square,  Stratton  Street,  Bruton  Street, 


Contents.  33 

Mount  Street,  Clarges  Street,  Half  Moon  Street, 
Arlington  Street,  Bennett  Street,  Dover  Street,  Albe- 
marle  Street,  Bond  Street,  Clifford  Street,  Burlington 
Street,  Cork  Street,  Savile  Row,  Vigo  Street,  Sackville 
Street,  Ayr  Street,  Swallow  Street,  Vine  Street; 
Regent  Street ;  Conduit  Street,  Maddox  Street, 
Brook  Street,  Mill  Street,  George  Street,  Hanover 
Square,  Davies  Street  ;  Argyll  Street,  Great  Marl- 
borough  Street,  Blenheim  Street,  Wardour  Street, 
Nassau  Street,  Golden  Square,  Shaftesbury  Avenue  ; 
Old  Compton  Street,  New  Compton  Street,  Dean 
Street,  Gerrard  Street,  Macclesfield  Street,  Greek 
Street,  Carlisle  Street  ;  Hanway  Street,  Rathbone 
Place,  Newman  Street,  Goodge  Street,  Castle  Street, 
Wells  Street,  Berners  Street,  Foley  Street,  Charlotte 
Street,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  Grafton  Street,  Fitzroy 
Square,  Euston  Square,  Southampton  Street,  Tot- 
tenham Court  Road ;  Oxford  Street,  Harley  Street, 
Wigmore  Street,  Cavendish  Square,  Holies  Street, 
Henrietta  Street,  Bentinck  Street,  Margaret  Street, 
Duchess  Street,  Portland  Place,  Welbeck  Street, 
Wimpole  Street,  Stratford  Place,  Langham  Place, 
Mansfield  Street,  Vere  Street,  Manchester  Square, 
Spanish  Place,  Chandos  Street,  Hinde  Street,  Audley 
Street,  Old  Quebec  Street,  Seymour  Street,  Montague 
Square,  Berkeley  Square,  Portman  Square,  Bryan- 
stone  Square,  Blandford  Square,  Dorset  Square,  Baker 
Street,  Harewood  Square,  Lisson  Grove,  Ossulton 
Square  ;  Regent's  Park,  Albany  Street,  Osnaburg 
Street,  Munster  Square,  Park  Street,  Brecknock  Road, 
Great  College  Street,  Oakley  Square,  Ampthill  Square, 
Harrington  Square,  Mornington  Crescent,  Granby 
Street,  Skinner  Street ;  Pancras  Road,  Battle  Bridge 
Road,  York  Road,  Caledonian  Road,  Liverpool  Street, 
Sidmouth  Street,  Burton  Crescent,  Judd  Street,  Great 
Coram  Street,  Lamb's  Conduit  Street,  Harpur  Street, 
Bedford  Row,  Southampton  Row,  Russell  Square, 
Tavistock  Square,  Gordon  Square,  Torrington  Square, 


34  Contents. 

PAGE 

Montague  Street,  Brunswick  Square,  Mecklenburgh 
Square ;  Thurlow  Place,  Great  Ormond  Street,  Blooms- 
bury  Square ;  Queen's  Square,  Red  Lion  Square, 
Kingsgate  Street,  Theobald's  Road ;  Coldbath  Square, 
Ray  Street,  Rosoman  Street,  Berkeley  Street, 
Hockley-in-the-Hole  ;  Myddleton  Square,  Penton- 
ville  Road;  St.  John  Street  Road,  City  Road,  Shep- 
herdess Walk,  Curtain  Road,  Holywell  Lane  ;  Nichols 
Square,  Sutton  Place,  Queen  Elizabeth's  Walk,  Fleet- 
wood  Road;  Seven  Sisters  Road,  Archway  Road, 
Flask  Walk;  Judges'  Walk;  Fleet  Road,  Dale  Road, 
Barrow  Hill  Place,  Abbey  Road ;  Desborough  Place, 
Church  Street,  Nottingham  Place,  Paddington  Street ; 
Craven  Hill  Gardens  ;  Southwick  Crescent,  Orme 
Square,  Ladbroke  Grove,  Norland  Square,  Kensington 
Gore,  Ennismore  Place,  Cromwell  Road,  Gloucester 
Road;  Campden  Hill,  Warwick  Road,  Holland  Road, 
Earl's  Court  Road,  Addison  Road  ;  Cromwell  Place, 
King's  Road,  Cheyne  Walk,  Justice  Walk,  Marl- 
borough  Road,  Keppel  Street,  Cadogan  Square, 
Sloane  Street,  Hans  Place,  Danvers  Street ;  Grosvenor 
Place,  Eccleston  Square,  Belgrave  Square,  Ebury 
Square,  Chester  Square,  Eaton  Square,  Lupus  Street, 
St.  George's  Square,  Lowndes  Square,  Chesham  Street ; 
Vauxhall  Bridge  Road,  Victoria  Street  ;  Birdcage 
Walk,  Storey's  Gate,  Queen  Anne's  Gate,  Delahay 
Street,  Rochester  Row,  Bridge  Street,  Cannon  Street, 
King  Street,  Princes  Street,  Parker  Street,  Great 
George  Street,  Abingdon  Street,  Holywell  Street, 
Barton  Street,  Cowley  Street,  Marsham  Street,  Earl 
Street,  Romney  Street,  Pye  Street,  Great  Peter  Street, 
Vine  Street,  Orchard  Street,  Tothill  Street,  Horse- 
ferry  Road  ;  Newington  Butts,  Great  Suffolk  Street, 
Mint  Street,  Old  Kent  Road,  Grange  Road,  Spa  Road, 
Russell  Street,  Tooley  Street,  Jamaica  Road,  Cherry 
Gardens  Pier,  Evelyn  Street  .  .  .  .259 


THE  COUNTRIES  OF  THE  WORLD. 


T 


HE  oldest  of  the  four  great  divisions  of  the 
world  received  its  modern  designation  Asia 
from  the  Sanskrit  Ushas,  signifying  "land 


of  the  dawn."  Africa  traces  its  origin  to  the 
Phoenician  afer,  a  black  man,  and  the  Sanskrit  ac,  the 
earth,  a  country.  Europe  owes  its  name  to  the 
Greek  eums,  broad,  and  op,  to  see,  or  ops,  the  face,  in 
allusion  to  "  the  broad  face  of  the  earth."  America 
honours  the  memory  of  Amerigo  Vespucci,  the 
Florentine  navigator,  who  landed  on  the  New  Conti- 
nent south  of  the  Equator,  the  year  after  Columbus 
discovered  the  northern  mainland  in  1498.  The 
name  of  America  first  appeared  in  a  work  published 
by  Waldsemuller  at  St.  Die,  in  Lorraine,  in  the  year 
1507.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  when  Columbus 
landed  in  America  he  imagined  he  had  set  foot  on 
part  of  that  vast  territory  east  of  the  Ganges 
vaguely  known  as  India ;  therefore  he  gave  the 
name  of  Indians  to  the  aborigines.  This  also 
accounts  for  the  islands  in  the  Caribbean  Sea 
being  styled  the  West  Indies. 

The  cradle  of  the  human  race  bears  the  name  of 
Palestine,  or  in  Hebrew  Palestine*,  meaning  "the 
land  of  strangers,"  agreeably  to  the  native  word 


36  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

palash,  to  wander.  Palestine  is  usually  denominated 
the  Holy  Land,  because  it  was  the  scene  of  the 
birth,  life,  and  death  of  the  Redeemer.  Asia 
Minor  is,  of  course,  Lesser  Asia. 

For  the  title  of  Persia  we  are  indebted  to  the 
Greeks,  who  gave  the  name  of  Persis  to  the  region 
(of  which  the  capital  was  Persipolis)  originally  over- 
run by  a  wild  branch  of  the  Ayrian  race  called  the 
Parsa,  meaning,  in  the  native  tongue,  "  the  Tigers  " 
[see  PARSEES],  The  suffix  ia,  wherever  it  occurs  in 
a  geographical  sense,  expresses  the  Celtic  for  land 
or  territory.  Hence,  Persia  signifies  the  territory  of 
the  Parsa  or  Parsees  ;  Arabia,  the  country  of  the 
Arabs,  "  men  of  the  desert  "  ;  Abyssinia,  that  of  the 
Abassins,  or  ' '  mixed  races  "  ;  Kaffraria,  that  of  the 
Kaffirs,  or  "unbelievers";  and  Ethiopia,  the  "land 
of  the  blacks,"  according  to  the  two  Greek  words 
aithein,  to  burn,  and  ops,  the  face.  India  denotes 
the  country  traversed  by  the  Indus,  or  rather  the 
Hindu,  which  name  is  a  Persicized  form  of  the 
Sanskrit  Sindhu,  "  a  great  river,"  rendered  Hindus  in 
the  Greek.  Synonymous  with  the  Celtic  suffix  just 
discussed  is  the  Persian  stan :  consequently  Hindu- 
stan signifies  the  territory  traversed  by  the  river 
Hindu,  and  peopled  by  the  Hindoos  ;  Turkestan, 
the  country  of  the  Turks;  Afghanistan,  that  of 
the  Afghans  ;  Beloochistan,  that  of  the  Belooches  ; 
and  Kurdestan,  properly  Koordistan,  that  of  the 
Koords.  The  term  China  is  a  western  corruption 
of  Tsina,  so  called  in  honour  of  Tsin,  the  founder 
of  the  great  dynasty  which  commenced  in  the  third 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  37 

century  B.C.,  when  a  knowledge  of  this  country  was 
first  conveyed  to  the  Western  nations.  It  was  this 
Tsin  who  built  the  Great  Wall  of  China  (or  Tsin)  to 
keep  out  the  Barbarians.  The  Chinese  Empire  bears 
the  description  of  the  Celestial  Empire  because  its 
early  rulers  were  all  celestial  deities.  Siberia  is  a 
term  indicative  of  Siber,  the  residence  of  Kutsheen 
Khan,  the  celebrated  Tartar  prince,  recognized  as 
the  ancient  capital  of  the  Tartars,  the  ruins  of 
which  may  still  be  seen.  Here  again  the  Celtic 
suffix  ia  has  reference  to  the  surrounding  territory. 

Russia  constituted  the  country  of  the   Russ,   a 
tribe  who  overran   it  at  a  very  early  period.     The 
Russian  Empire  was  founded  by  Ruric,  or  Rourik,  a 
Scandinavian  chief  whose  death  took   place  in  the 
year  A.D.,  879.     Circassia  denotes  the  country  of  the 
Tcherkes,  a  Tartar  tribe  who  settled  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  river  Terek.     The  Crimea  received 
its  name  from  a  small  town  established  in  the  penin- 
sula by  the  Kimri,  or  Cymri,  and  known  to  the  Greeks 
as  Kimmerikon.     Finland  is  properly  Fenland,  "the 
land  of  marshes."     Sweden  is  a  modern  term  made 
up  of  the  Latin    S^ied^a,  signifying  the  land  of  the 
Suevi,  a  warlike  tribe  of  the  Goths,  and  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  den,  testifying  to  its  occupation  by  the  Danes. 
Norway  shows  the  result  of  a  gradual  modification 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon  Norea,  and  the  original  Nordoe, 
being  the    Scandinavian  for  "  north  island."     It  is 
easy  to  understand  in  this  connection  how  the  old 
Norsemen,  deterred  by  the  intense  cold  of  the  Arctic 
Sea,   took    it   for   granted   that   the   great  northern 


38  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

peninsula  was  surrounded  by  water,  without  actually 
determining  the  fact.  The  native  name  of  this 
country  in  modern  times  is  Nordfike,  i.e.,  the  north 
kingdom. 

Britain  was  known  to  the  Phoenicians  as  Barat- 
Anac,  or  "  the  land  of  tin,"  as  far  back  as  the  year 
1037  B.C.  Some  five  hundred  years  afterwards  the 
Island  was  alluded  to  by  the  Romans  under  the 
name  of  Britannia,  which  subsequently  became 
shortened  into  Britain.  England  was  originally 
Engaland,  the  land  of  the  Engles,  or  Angles,  who 
came  over  from  Sleswick,  a  province  of  Jutland* 
Prior  to  the  year  258,  which  witnessed  its  invasion 
by  the  Scoti,  a  tribe  who  inhabited  the  northern 
portions  of  the  country  now  known  as  Ireland, 
Scotland  bore  the  name  of  Caledonia,  literally  the 
hilly  country  of  the  Caels,  or  Gaels.  The  word  Gael, 
or  Gael,  is  a  corruption  of  Gadhel,  signifying  in  the 
native  tongue  "a hidden  rover  "  ;  while  Scot,  derived 
from  the  native  scuite,  means  practically  the  same 
thing,  i.e.,  a  wanderer.  The  Caledonians  were  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Highlands,  the  termination  dun 
expressing  the  Celtic  for  a  hill,  fort,  stronghold ;  the 
Scots  were  the  invaders  from  Scotia,  who  appro- 
priated the  Hebrides  and  the  Western  Islands ; 
whereas  the  Lowlanders  were  the  Picts,  so  called 
from  their  description  by  the  Romans,  picti,  painted 
men.  These  Picts  were  eventually  subdued  by  the 
Caledonians  and  Britons  from  their  respective  sides. 
The  Gaelic  designation  of  what  is  now  Ireland  was 
I  erne,  indicative  of  the  "  western  isle."  Ireland  is 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  39 

commonly  styled  The  Emerald  Isle  owing  to  its 
fresh  verdure. 

Wales  was  originally  Cambria,  so  called  on  ac- 
count of  the  Cymri,  or  Kimri,  who  peopled  it.     The 
modern  title  of  Wales  was  given  to  this  province 
by  the  Anglo-Saxons,  because  they  regarded  it,  in 
common  with   Cornwall,  as  the  land  of  foreigners. 
Traces  of  the  Wahl  or  Welsh    still    present  them- 
selves   in    such    names    as    Wallachia,    Walcheren, 
Walloon,  Wallingford,  Welshpool,  &c.     Thus  we  see 
that  the    prenomen  Wahl,  subject  to  slight  modifi- 
cations in  the  spelling,  denotes  any  foreign  settle- 
ment from  the  Saxon  point  of  view.     The  Saxons, 
by  the  way,  whose  original  settlement  is  determined 
by  the  little  kingdom  of  Saxony,  derived  their  name 
from  the  seax,  or  short  crooked  knife  writh  which  they 
armed  themselves. 

France  was  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Gallatia,  and 
to  the  Romans  as  Gallia,  afterwards  modified  into 
Gaul,  because  it  was  the  territory  of  the  Celtiae,  or 
Celts.  The  modern  settlers  of  the  country  were  the 
Franks,  so  called  from  the  franca,  a  kind  of  javelin 
which  they  carried,  who  in  the  fifth  century  in- 
habited the  German  province  of  Franconia,  and, 
travelling  westwards,  gradually  accomplished  the 
conquest  of  Gaul.  France,  therefore,  signifies  the 
country  of  the  Franks,  or,  as  the  Germans  call  it, 
Frankreich,  i.e.,  the  Kingdom  of  the  Franks.  All 
the  western  nations  were  styled  Franks  by  the 
Turks  and  Orientals,  and  anything  brought  to  them 
from  the  west  invariably  merited  a  prenomen  de- 


40  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

scriptive  of  its  origin,  as,  for  example,  FRANKINCENSE, 
by  which  was  meant  incense  brought  from  the 
country  of  the  Franks.  Normandy  indicates  the 
coast  settlement  of  the  Northmen,  or  Danes ;  while 
Brittany  comprised  the  land  appropriated  by  the 
kings  of  Britain. 

Germany  was  in  ancient  times  known  as  Tronges, 
or  the  country  of  the  Tungri,  a  Latin  word  signi- 
fying "  speakers  "  ;  but  the  Romans  afterwards  gave 
it  the  name  of  Germanus,  which  was  a  Latinized 
Celtic  term  meaning  "  neighbours,"  originally 
bestowed  by  the  Gauls  upon  the  warlike  people 
beyond  the  Rhine.  Holland  is  the  modern  accepta- 
tion of  Ollant,  the  Danish  for  "  marshy  ground  "  ; 
whereas  Belgium  denotes  the  land  of  the  Belgiae. 
The  fact  that  the  term  Netherlands  is  expressive  of 
the  low  countries  need  scarcely  detain  us.  Denmark 
is  properly  Danmark,  i.e.,  the  territory  comprised 
within  the  marc,  or  boundary  established  by  Dan,  the 
Scandinavian  chieftain.  Jutland  means  the  land 
of  the  Jutes,  a  family  of  the  Goths  who  settled  in 
this  portion  of  Denmark.  Prussia  is  a  corruption 
of  Borussia,  the  country  of  the  Borussi ;  and 
Bohemia,  the  country  of  the  Boii,  just  as  Hungary 
was  originally  inhabited  by  the  Huns,  a  warlike 
Asiatic  family,  who  expelled  the  Goths  from  this 
territory  in  the  year  376.  These  Huns  were  first 
heard  of  in  China  in  the  third  century  B.C.  under  the 
name  of  Hiong-mt,  meaning  "  giants."  Poland 
is  an  inversion  of  Land-Pole,  the  Slavonic  for  "men 
of  the  plains,"  who  first  overran  this  territory. 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  41 

Servia  was  styled  by  the  Romans  Suedia,  the 
district  peopled  by  the  Suevi  before  they  were  driven 
northwards  to  their  final  settlement  in  the  territory 
now  called  Sweden.  Montenegro  literally  indicates 
"  black  mountain."  Bosnia  is  the  country  traversed 
by  the  river  Bosna ;  Moldavia,  that  traversed  by 
the  Moldau  :  and  Moravia,  that  traversed  by  the 
Morava.  Bulgaria  is  a  modern  corruption  of  Vol~ 
garia,  meaning  the  country  peopled  by  the  Volsci ; 
wThile  Houmania  was  anciently  a  Roman  province. 
Turkey  is  more  correctly  written  Turkia,  the  country 
of  the  Turks.  This  country  also  bears  the  style  of 
the  Ottoman  Empire,  in  honour  of  Othman  I., 
who  assumed  the  government  of  the  empire  about 
the  year  1300.  Greece  is  the  modern  form  of  the 
Latin  Grcecia,  from  the  Greek  Graikoi,  a  name 
originally  bestowed  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Hellas. 

Austria  is  our  mode  of  describing  the  Otsterreich, 
literally  the  Eastern  Empire,  in  contradistinction 
to  the  Western  Empire  founded  by  Charlemagne. 
Italy  was  so  called  after  Italus,  one  of  the  early 
kings  of  this  country.  Switzerland  is  an  Anglicized 
form  of  the  native  Schweitz,  the  name  of  the  three 
forest  cantons  whose  people  asserted  their  inde- 
pendence of  Austria,  afterwards  applied  to  the  whole 
country.  Spain  expresses  the  English  of  Hispania,  a 
designation  founded  upon  the  Punic  span,  a  rabbit, 
owing  to  the  number  of  wild  rabbits  found  in  this 
peninsula  by  the  Carthaginians.  The  ancient  name 
of  the  country  was  Iberia,  so  styled  from  the  Iberi, 
a  tribe  who  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river  Ebro. 


42  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Portugal  was  the  Portus  Gallic?  of  the  Romans, 
literally  "the  gate  of  Gaul,"  as  approached  from  the 
Mediterranean  and  Atlantic  Seas. 

Algiers  is  a  modified  spelling  of  the  Arabic 
Al  Jezair,  meaning  "the  peninsula."  Tunis  was 
anciently  known  as  Tunentum,  the  land  of  the 
Tunes  ;  Morocco  signifies  the  territory  of  the 
Moors;  and  Barbary;  that  of  the  Berbers.  The 
term  Sahara  is  Arabic  for  "  desert";  while  the 
Soudan  denotes,  according  to  the  Arabic  Belad-ez- 
Suden,  the  "  district  of  the  blacks."  Egypt  ex- 
presses the  Hebrew  for  "  the  land  of  oppression," 
alluding  to  the  bondage  of  the  Israelites.  Sene- 
gambia  was  originally  so  named  owing  to  its 
situation  between  the  Senegal  and  Gambia  rivers. 
The  Gold  Coast  is  that  portion  of  Guinea  on  the 
West  Coast  of  Africa  where  gold  is  found.  Guinea 
is  a  native  West  African  term  meaning  "  abounding 
in  gold."  In  Zanzibar,  properly  written  Zanguebart 
we  have  an  inversion  of  the  Arabic  Ber-ez-Zing,  the 
"  coast  of  the  negroes."  Zululand  is  the  country 
of  the  Zulus.  By  the  Transvaal  is  meant  the 
territory  beyond  the  river  Vaal ;  just  as  in  Europe 
the  Hungarians  call  a  portion  of  their  country 
TRANSYLVANIA,  from  its  situation  "  beyond  the 
wood."  Natal  received  its  name  from  Vasco  di 
Gama  because  he  discovered  it  on  the  Feast  of  the 
Nativity.  The  settlements  of  the  Dutch  Boers  in 
South  Africa  are  designated  the  Orange  Free 
States  from  the  circumstance  that  their  original 
settlers  were  emigrants  from  the  Principality  of 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  43 

Orange,  in  Holland.  Cape  Colony  is  the  British 
colony  in  South  Africa,  so  called  after  the  parent 
settlement  at  Cape  Town,  which  dates  from  the  year 
1826.  The  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  discovered  by 
Bartholomew  de  Diaz  in  1487,  was  so  named  (Cabo 
de  Bon  Esperance)  by  John  II,,  King  of  Portugal, 
who,  finding  that  Diaz  had  reached  the  extremity  of 
Africa,  regarded  it  as  a  favourable  augury  for  future 
maritime  enterprises. 

The  most  southern  point  of  South  America  was. 
called  Cape  Hoorn  (or,  according  to  the  English, 
Cape  Horn)  by  Schonten,  who  first  rounded  it  in 
1616,  after  Hoorn,  his  native  place  in  North  Holland. 
Patagonia  was  so  styled  by  Magellan  in  accordance 
with  the  Spanish  word  patagon,  meaning  a  large, 
clumsy  foot.  It  was  from  the  fact  of  seeing  the 
impressions  of  the  large  shoes  (not,  as  he  imagined, 
the  feet)  of  the  aborigines  that  he  at  once  concluded 
the  country  must  be  inhabited  by  giants.  Chili 
is  a  Peruvian  word  denoting  the  "  land  of  snow." 
Argentina,  now  the  Argentine  Republic,  owes 
its  name  to  the  silvery  reflection  of  its  rivers. 
Brazil  is  a  Portuguese  term  derived  from  braza,  "  a 
live  coal,"  relative  to  the  red  dye-wood  with  which 
the  country  abounds.  Bolivia  perpetuates  the 
memory  of  General  Simon  Bolivar,  "the  Liberator 
of  Peru."  Uraguay  and  Paraguay  are  both  names 
of  rivers;  the  former  meaning  "the  golden  water, "" 
and  the  latter  "the  river  of  waters,"  referring  to  its 
numerous  tributaries.  Peru  likewise  received  its 
name  from  its  principal  river,  the  Rio  Paro,  upon 


44  Names  :    and  their  Meaning. 

which  stands  the  ancient  city  of  Paruru.  The  Bra- 
zilian term  Para,  however  modified,  is  at  all  times 
suggestive  of  a  river.  Pernambuco  means  "  the 
mouth  of  hell,"  in  allusion  to  the  violent  surf 
always  distinguished  at  the  mouth  of  its  chief  river. 
Ecuador  is  Spanish  for  Equator,  so  called  by  virtue 
of  its  geographical  position.  Columbia  was  named 
in  honour  of  Christopher  Columbus.  Venezuela 
expresses  the  Spanish  for  "  Little  Venice,"  which 
designation  was  given  to  this  country  owing  to  the 
discovery  of  some  Indian  villages  built  upon  piles 
after  the  manner  of  the  "  Silent  City  "  on  the  Adriatic 
Sea. 

The  term  Panama  is  Caribbean,  indicative  of  the 
mud  fish  that  abound  in  the  waters  on  both  sides  of 
the  isthmus.  Costa  Bica  is  literal  Spanish  for 
"  rich  coast "  ;  while  Honduras  signifies,  in  the  same 
tongue,  "  deep  water."  The  name  of  Nicaragua 
was  first  given  by  Gil  Gonzales  de  Arila  in  1521  to 
the  great  lake  situated  in  the  region  now  called 
after  it,  in  consequence  of  his  friendly  reception 
by  the  Cacique,  a  Haytian  term  for  a  chief,  whose 
•own  name  was  Nicaro,  of  a  tribe  of  West  Indians, 
with  whom  he  fell  in  on  the  borders  of  the  lake 
referred  to.  The  Mosquito  Coast  owes  its  name  to 
the  troublesome  insects  (Spanish  mosca,  from  the 
Latin  musca,  a  fly)  which  infest  this  neighbourhood. 
Yutacan  is  a  compound  Indian  word  meaning 
"What  do  you  say?  "  which  was  the  only  answer 
the  Spaniards  could  obtain  from  the  natives  to  their 
inquiries  concerning  a  description  of  the  country. 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  45 

Guatemala  is  a  European  rendering  of  the  Mexican 
quahtemali,  signifying  "a  decayed  log  of  wood";  so 
called  by  the  Mexican  Indians  who  accompanied 
Alvarado  into  this  region,  because  they  found  an  old 
worm-eaten  tree  near  the  ancient  palace  of  the 
Kings,  or  Kachiquel,  which  was  thought  to  be  the 
centre  of  the  country. 

Mexico  denotes  the  place  or  seat  of  Mexitli,  the 
Aztec  God  of  War.  The  name  of  California, 
derived  from  the  two  Spanish  words,  Caliente  For- 
nalla,  i.e.,  "  hot  furnace/'  was  given  by  Cortez  in 
the  year  1535  to  the  peninsula  now  known  as  Old  or 
Lower  California,  of  which  he  was  the  discoverer,  on 
account  of  its  hot  climate.  British  Columbia  is. 
the  only  portion  of  North  America  that  retains  the 
name  of  the  discoverer  of  the  New  World;  but 
originally  the  whole  of  the  territory  now  comprised 
in  the  United  States  bore  the  designation  of  Co- 
lumbia in  honour  of  Christopher  Columbus.  The 
term  Canada  is  Indian,  indicative  of  a  "  collection 
of  huts";  Manitoba  traces  its  origin  from  Manitou, 
the  Indian  appellation  of  "  The  Great  Spirit. "' 
Ontario  comes  from  the  native  Onontac,  "  the 
village  on  the  mountain,"  and  chief  seat  of  the 
Onondagas ;  while  Quebec  is  an  Algonquin  term 
signifying  "take  care  of  the  rock."  Labrador  was 
originally  denominated  Tierra  Labrador,  the  Spanish 
for  "  cultivated  land,"  as  distinguished  from  the 
non-fertile  though  moss-covered  Greenland.  New 
Brunswick,  colonized  in  1785,  received  its  name  in 
compliment  to  the  House  of  Brunswick.  Nova 


46  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Scotia,  otherwise  New  Scotland,  was  so  called  by 
Sir  William  Alexander,  a  Scotsman  who  obtained  a 
grant  of  this  colony  from  James  I.  in  1621.  Florida 
was  named  by  Ponce  de  Leon  in  accordance  with 
the  day  of  its  discovery,  to  wit,  Easter  Sunday, 
which  in  the  Spanish  language  is  styled  Pascua 
Florida. 

The  first  British  settlement  in  North  America  was 
claimed  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  on  the  I3th  of  July, 
1584,  in  the  name  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  called 
Virginia  in  her  honour.  Maryland  was  so  de- 
nominated by  Lord  Baltimore  (who  gave  the  name 
of  Baltimore  to  a  neighbouring  State),  in  honour  of 
Henrietta  Maria,  Queen  of  Charles  I.  Pennsylvania 
denotes  the  colony  founded  uin  the  wood"  by  William 
Penn,  the  son  of  Admiral  Penn,  in  1681.  This  is 
usually  alluded  to  as  the  KEYSTONE  STATE,  from  its 
relative  position  to  the  other  States.  Georgia  was 
named  after  George  II.,  in  whose  reign  this  state 
was  colonized  ;  and  Carolina  (North  and  South) 
after  Carolus  II.,  the  Latanized  style  of  Charles  II., 
by  whom  this  state  was  granted  to  eight  of  his 
favourites.  Louisiana  was  so  called  by  M.  de  la 
Sale  in  the  year  1682,  in  honour  of  Louis  XIV.  of 
France  ;  while  Maine  and  New  Orleans  received 
the  names  of  existing  French  provinces.  The  title 
•of  New  Hampshire  was  given  to  the  state  granted 
to  him  in  1629  by  John  Mason,  in  compliment  to  his 
native  county  in  England  ;  New  Jersey  compli- 
mented the  scene  of  action  whereon  Sir  George 
Carterat  distinguished  himself  in  the  defence  of 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  47 

Jersey  Island  against  the  Parliamentary  forces  in 
1664 ;  and  New  York  (State)  was  denominated  in 
honour  of  James,  Duke  of  York,  afterwards  James 
II.  [For  Michigan  see  the  great  lake  of  the  same 
name.]  Indiana  derived  its  name  from  the  great 
number  of  Indians  found  here.  Alabama  in  the 
native  tongue,  signifies  "  Here  we  rest"  ;  Nebraska 
means  "  water  valley";  Ohio  is  "  beautiful"; 
Massachusetts,  "  about  the  great  hills  "  ;  Wis- 
COnsin,  "wild  rushing  channel";  Kansas,  "  smoky 
water";  Tennessee,  "river  of  the  great  bend"; 
Kentucky,  "  at  the  head  of  a  river"  ;  Mississippi, 
"  great  and  long  river  "  ;  Missouri,  "  muddy  river  "  ; 
and  Minnesota,  "  white  water."  Arkansas  conveys 
the  same  meaning  as  Kansas,  with  the  addition  of  the 
French  prefix  arc,  a  bow.  Illinois  is  a  compound  of 
the  Indian  ilium,  men,  and  the  French  suffix  oix,  a 
tribe.  Oregon  received  its  name  from  the  Spanish 
cregano,  wild  majoram,  which  grows  in  abundance 
on  this  portion  of  the  Pacific  shore.  Texas  means 
"the  place  of  protection,"  in  reference  to  the  fact 
that  a  colony  of  French  refugees  were  afforded 
protection  here  by  General  Lallemont  in  1817; 
Vermont  is,  more  correctly,  Verd  Mont,  so  called 
in  testimony  to  the  verdure-clad  mountains  which 
traverse  this  state ;  Colorado  expresses  the  Spanish 
for  "  coloured,  "  alluding  to  its  coloured  ranges ; 
while  Nevada  is  Spanish  for  "  snowy,"  indica- 
tive of  the  character  of  its  mountain  ridges,  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  Connecticut  presents  itself  in 
the  native  Indian  form  Quinnitukut,  meaning  "the 


48  Names :   and  their  Meaning. 

country  of  the  long  river " ;  Iowa  is  a  French 
corruption  of  a  Sioux  term,  signifying  "  drowsy,"  or 
"  the  sleepy  ones,"  applied  to  the  Pahoja,  or  Gray- 
snow  tribe ;  Astoria  was  founded  by  John  Jacob 
Astor,  of  New  York,  as  a  fur-trading  station  in  the 
year  1811  ;  and  Delaware  received  its  name  from 
Thomas  West,  Lord  de  La  Warre,  Governor  of 
Virginia,  who  visited  the  bay  in  1610,  and  died  on 
board  his  vessel  at  its  mouth. 

Lake  Superior  denotes  the  uppermost  and  chief 
of  the  five  great  lakes  of  North  America.  Lake 
Erie  is  the  Lake  of  the  "  Wild  Cat,"  the  name  given 
to  a  fierce  tribe  of  Indians  exterminated  by  the 
Iroquois.  Lake  Huron  owes  its  name  to  the 
French  word  hure,  a  head  of  hair;  in  reference  to 
the  Wyandots,  whom  the  French  settlers  designated 
Hurons  owing  to  their  profusion  of  hair.  Lake 
Ontario  bears  the  denomination  of  the  Canadian 
territory  already  discussed.  Niagara,  or  rather,  to 
give  it  its  full  name,  Oni~aw-gdrah,  expresses  the 
West  Indian  for  "  the  thunder  of  waters/'  Lake 
Michigan  signifies  in  the  native  tongue  "  a  weir  for 
fish";  and  Lake  Winnipeg,  "lake  of  the  turbid 
water."  The  Great  Bear  Lake  is  indebted  for  its 
name  to  its  northern  situation  [see  ARCTIC  OCEAN]  ; 
and  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  to  the  saline  character 
of  its  waters. 

Having  disposed  of  the  different  countries,  let  us 
now  consider  the  nomenclature  of  the  principal  seas 
and  islands. 

The  Arctic  Ocean  received  its  name  pursuant  to 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  49 

the  Greek  arktos,  a  bear,  on  account  of  the  northern 
constellations  of  the  Great  and  Little  Bear.  The 
Antarctic  Ocean  denotes  the  ocean  anti,  against, 
or  opposite  to,  the  Arctic  Ocean.  The  Atlantic 
Ocean,  known  to  the  Greeks  by  the  name  of  Allan- 
tikos  pelagos,  was  originally  so  called  from  the  Isle  of 
Atlantes,  which  both  Plato  and  Homer  imagined  to 
be  situated  beyond  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  The 
Pacific  Ocean  was  so  named  by  Magellan,  owing  to 
its  calm  and  pacific  character,  in  striking  contrast  to 
his  tempestuous  passage  through  the  Straits  of  Magel- 
lan, from  which  he  emerged  November  27, 1520.  The 
Caribbean  Sea  washes  the  territory  of  the  Caribbs, 
whose  name  means  "  cruel  men."  The  Mediter- 
ranean Sea  expresses  the  Latin  (medius,  middle, 
and  terra,  earth)  for  the  sea  between  two  continents, 
viz.,  Europe  and  Africa.  The  Adriatic  Sea  indicates 
the  Sea  of  Adrian  or  Hadrian.  The  Baltic  Sea 
denotes,  in  accordance  with  the  Swedish  bait,  a  strait, 
a  sea  full  of  belts,  or  straits.  The  North  Sea,  the 
German  Ocean,  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  the  Irish 
Sea,  are  names  indicative  of  the  positions  of  these 
respective  seas.  The  White  Sea  is  so  called  from 
its  proximity  to  the  sterile  regions  of  snow  and 
ice ;  the  Black  Sea,  because  it  abounds  with  black 
rocks  ;  the  Red  Sea,  on  account  of  the  red  soil  which 
forms  its  bottom  ;  the  Green  Sea,  otherwise  the 
Persian  Gulf,  owing  to  a  peculiar  strip  of  green 
always  discernible  along  the  Arabian  shore;  the 
Yellow  Sea,  from  the  colour  of  the  water  caused  by 
the  nature  of  its  muddy  soil ;  and  the  Dead  Sea, 


50  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

because  no  fish  of  any  kind  has  ever  been  found  in 
its  waters.  The  Caspian  Sea  preserves  the  name  of 
the  Caspii,  a  tribe  who  originally  formed  a  settlement 
on  its  shores.  The  Sea  of  Marmora  owes  its  designa- 
tion to  a  small  island  at  its  western  extremity  which 
has  long  been  famous  for  its  marble  (Latin  marmor) 
quarries.  The  Gulf  Stream  is  a  warm  current  of 
water  that  issues  from  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon, 
immediately  under  the  Equator,  and  after  traversing 
the  coast  of  South  America,  the  Caribbean  Sea,  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  coast  of  the  United  States, 
makes  its  way  across  the  Atlantic  directly  for  the 
British  Isles,  raising  the  temperature  of  the  water 
through  which  it  passes.  The  Horse  Latitudes, 
situated  between  the  trade  winds  and  the  westerly 
winds  of  higher  latitudes,  and  distinguished  for 
tedious  calms,  received  this  name  because  it  was  in 
this  portion  of  the  Atlantic  the  old  navigators  often 
threw  overboard  the  horses  which  they  had  under- 
taken to  transport  to  the  West  Indies.  The  southern 
banks  of  the  West  India  Islands,  and  the  water  ex- 
tending for  some  distance  into  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
were  formerly  known  as  the  Spanish  Main,  from 
the  fact  that  the  Spaniards  confined  their  buccaneer- 
ing enterprises  to  this  locality. 

Hudson's  Bay  and  Hudson's  Strait  were  named 
aftertheirre-discoveryby  Captain  Henry  Hudson  while 
searching  for  the  north-west  passage  in  1610.  Prior 
to  this  date  the  Bay  and  the  Strait  had  not  been 
navigated  since  their  original  discovery  by  Cabot  in 
1512.  James'  Bay  honours  the  memory  of  James 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  51 

I.,  in  whose  reign  it  was  completely  explored.  Quite 
a  number  of  straits,  gulfs,  and  bays  bear  the  names 
of  their  respective  navigators ;  therefore  these  need 
not  detain  us  here.  An  exception  exists  in  the  case 
of  Barrow's  Strait,  which  was  so  called  by  Captain 
Penny  in  compliment  to  John  Barrow,  the  son  of 
Sir  John  Barrow  the  traveller  and  statesman,  in 
1850.  All  Saints'  Bay  was  discovered  by  Vespucci 
on  the  Feast  of  All  Saints  in  the  year  1503.  The 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  was  first  explored,  and  the 
navigation  of  the  long  river  of  the  same  name  com- 
menced, on  the  Feast  of  St.  Lawrence,  1500.  The 
Gulf  of  Carpentaria  preserves  the  memory  of  a 
Dutch  captain  named  Carpenter  who  discovered  it 
in  1606.  Torres  Strait  owes  its  designation  to  its 
position  near  the  Equator,  the  word  torres,  from  the 
Latin  toridus,  signifying  parched.  Botany  Bay  was 
so  called  by  Captain  Cook  from  the  great  variety  of 
plants  which  he  found  growing  on  its  shores  when 
exploring  it  in  the  year  1770.  The  St.  George's 
Channel  was  named  after  the  patron  saint  of  Eng- 
land. The  Skagerrack  denotes  the  "  crooked 
strait  between  the  Skagen"  (so  called  from  the  Gothic 
skaga,  a  promontory),  which  forms  the  northern  ex- 
tremity of  Jutland  and  Norway.  Zuyder  Zee 
expresses  the  Dutch  for  the  "  south  sea,"  in  relation 
to  the  North  Sea  or  German  Ocean.  The  Bay  of 
Biscay  takes  its  name  from  the  Basque  or  Basquan, 
i.e.,  mountainous  provinces,  whose  shores  are 
washed  by  its  waters.  The  Strait  of  Gibraltar 
honours  the  reputation  of  Ben  Zeyad  Tarik,  a  Moor- 


52  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

ish  general  who  effected  the  invasion  of  Spain  in  the 
year  712  by  obtaining  possession  of  the  apparently 
impregnable  rock  which  has  ever  since  borne  the 
name,  in  consequence,  otjebel  al  tank,  the  Mountain 
of  Tarik.  The  Bosphorus  is  a  Greek  term  com- 
posed of  bous,  an  ox,  and  poms,  a  ford,  alluding  to  the 
legend  that  when  lo  was  transformed  into  a  cow 
she  forded  this  strait.  The  Dardanelles  derive 
their  name  from  the  ancient  city  of  Dardanus, 
founded  by  Dardanus,  the  ancestor  of  Priam,  where 
the  castle  now  stands  on  the  Asiatic  side. 

By  the  term  Australia  is  meant  "the  South," 
and  by  Australasia  "  Southern  Asia/'  agreeably  to 
the  Latin  australis,  southern.  Previous  to  its  settle- 
ment by  the  British,  Australia  was  known  as  New 
Holland  owing  to  its  discovery  by  the  Dutch  in  the 
year  1606.  The  existing  name  of  New  Zealand 
likewise  bears  testimony  to  the  deep-rooted  affection 
of  the  Dutch  navigators,  and  indeed  of  the  Dutch 
people  generally,  for  their  native  country — the  word 
Zceland,  denoting  sea-land,  being  significant  of  the 
low  countries.  Tasmania  was  originally  known  as 
Van  Dieman's  Land,  the  name  bestowed  upon  it 
by  Abel  Jansen  Tasman,  who  discovered  it  in  1642, 
in  compliment  to  the  daughter  of  the  Dutch  governor 
of  Batavia.  The  change  of  title  was  effected  in  1853. 
The  Society  Islands  received  their  name  from 
Captain  Cook  in  honour  of  the  Royal  Society ;  the 
Friendly  Islands,  on  account  of  the  friendly  dis- 
position of  the  natives ;  and  Christmas  Island, 
because  he  set  foot  upon  it  on  Christmas  Day,  1777. 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  53 

The  naming  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  by  Cook 
conveyed  a  graceful  compliment  to  Lord  Sandwich, 
First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty.  The  Philippine 
Islands,  discovered  by  Magellan  in  1521,  were 
named  after  Philip  II.  of  Spain  ;  and  the  Caroline 
Islands  discovered  by  Lopez  de  Villalobos  in  1543, 
after  Charles  V.,  Emperor  of  Germany  and  first  King 
of  Spain. 

Papua  is  a  Portuguese  term  for  "frizzled,'*  in 
allusion  to  the  enormous  frizzled  heads  of  hair  worn 
by  the  natives  ;  Java  is  a  native  Malay  word  signi- 
fying "  the  land  of  nutmegs  ;  "  Sumatra,  a  corrup- 
tion of  Trimatara,  means  "  the  happy  land  "  ;  while 
Borneo  comes  from  the  Sanskrit  bhurni,  "land." 
Japan  is  a  European  modification,  brought  about 
through  the  Portuguese  Gepuen,  of  the  native  Niphon, 
confounded  of  ni,  sun,  fire,  and  pon,  land,  literally 
sun-land,  or  "  land  of  the  rising  sun,'*  and  signifying 
"  the  fountain  of  light."  Formosa  is  Portuguese 
for  "beautiful";  whereas  Ceylon,  rendered  in  the 
Portuguese  tongue  Selen,  is  but  part  of  the  original 
Sanskrit  Sinhala-dwipa,  "the  Island  of  Lions."  The 
Mauritius,  when  colonized  by  the  Dutch,  received 
the  name  of  Maurice,  Prince  of  Orange;  and  the 
Isle  of  Bourbon,  when  settled  by  the  French,  that 
of  the  Bourbon  family.  Madagascar  is  properly 
Malagasy 9  the  Island  of  the  Malagese,  because  the 
natives  belong  to  the  Malay  race. 

Tierra  del  Fuego  expresses  the  Spanish  for  "land 
of  fire.''  The  Island  of  Desolation  was  so  desig- 
nated by  Captain  Cook  owing  to  the  absence  of  all 


54  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

signs  of  life.  Hanover  Island  honours  the  House 
of  Hanover;  and  Adelaide  Island,  the  queen  of 
William  IV.;  while  Juan  Fernandez  (also  known 
as  Selkirk's  Island,  after  Alexander  Selkirk,  its 
solitary  inhabitant  from  September,  1704,  to  Feb- 
ruary, 1707),  perpetuates  the  name  of  its  discoverer 
in  the  year  1567.  The  Ladrone  Islands  merited 
this  designation  from  the  circumstance  that  when 
Magellan  touched  upon  one  of  the  lesser  isles  of  the 
group  in  1520  the  natives  stole  some  of  his  goods; 
whereupon  he  called  the  Islands  the  Ladrones,  which 
is  the  Spanish  for  thieves.  Pitcairn's  Island  was. 
discovered  by  Pitcairn  in  1768.  Easter  Island  was 
so  denominated  by  Jacob  Roggevin  in  consequence 
of  his  visit  to  its  fertile  shores  on  Easter  Sunday, 
1722  ;  the  island  having  previously  been  discovered 
by  Captain  Davis  in  1686.  Vancouver  Island 
preserves  the  memory  of  Captain  Vancouver,  a  mid- 
shipman under  Captain  Cook,  who  discovered  it  in 
1792,  while  cruising  about  in  search  of  a  river  on  the 
west  coast  of  North  America.  The  Aleutian  Islands 
expresses  the  Russian  for  "  bald  rocks."  Queen 
Charlotte  Island  was  named  in  compliment  to  the 
queen  of  George  III. ;  and  Prince  of  Wales  Island, 
after  the  Prince  Regent,  afterwards  George  IV. 
Barrow  Island,  discovered  by  Captain  Penny  in 
1850,  received  the  name  of  John  Barrow,  son  of  Sir 
John  Barrow,  the  eminent  statesman  ;  while  Baring* 
Island,  also  discovered  by  Penny  in  the  course  of 
the  same  voyage,  received  the  name  of  Sir  Francis 
Baring,  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty.  The  Parry 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  55 

Islands  and  Baffin  Land  indicate  the  names  of 
the  famous  Arctic  navigators  to  whom  their  discovery 
was  due.  Banks  Land  was  so  called  in  compliment 
to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  the  eminent  naturalist  and 
President  of  the  Royal  Society. 

Newfoundland  is  the  only  territory  discovered 
by  Cabot  which  has  been  allowed  to  retain  its 
original  name.  Rhode  Island,  a  corruption  of  the 
Danish  rood,  red,  signifies  Red  Island,  in  allusion  to 
its  reddish  appearance  ;  whereas  Long  Island  has 
reference  to  its  long  and  narrow  conformation.  The 
Bermuda  Islands  were  discovered  by  Juan  Ber- 
mudez  in  1522.  San  Salvador  means  "  Holy 
Saviour."  This  was  the  first  land  sighted  by 
Columbus  (October  u,  1492) ;  he  therefore  gave  it 
this  name,  as  a  token  of  thanksgiving.  Jamaica  is 
a  corruption  of  Xaymaco,  a  native  West  Indian  name 
signifying  "the  country  abounding  in  springs."  Cuba 
and  Hayti  are  also  native  names,  the  latter  meaning 
"  mountainous  country/'  The  Island  of  Barbadoes 
derived  its  name  from  the  Latin  barba,  a  beard,  in 
allusion  to  the  beard-like  streamers  of  moss  always 
hanging  from  the  branches  of  the  trees.  Dominica 
is  indicative  of  the  day  of  its  discovery  by  Columbus, 
namely,  Sunday,  November  2,  1493  ;  and  Porto 
Rico  is  likewise  Spanish  for  "  rich  port."  When 
Columbus  first  sighted  the  Isle  of  Trinidad  he 
discerned  three  mountain  peaks  rising  from  the  sea, 
thus  conveying  the  impression  of  three  distinct 
islands ;  but  on  approaching  nearer  he  discovered 
that  they  formed  one  piece  of  land  only ;  wherefore 


56  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

he  gave  the  island  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  of  which 
it  was  so  eminently  an  emblem.  But  perhaps  the 
most  interesting  of  the  West  Indies  in  connection 
with  the  subject  we  are  now  discussing  is  Tobago 
Island,  so  called  by  Columbus  from  its  fancied  re- 
semblance to  the  Tobaco,  or  inhaling  tube  of  the 
aborigines,  whence  the  word  TOBACCO  has  been 
derived.  St.  Kitt's  Island  is  an  abbreviation  of 
St.  Christopher's  Island,  so  called  by  Columbus  in 
1493  after  his  patron  saint. 

Ascension  Island  was  discovered  by  the  Portu- 
guese on  Ascension  Day,  1501 ;  and  the  Isle 
of  St.  Helena  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Helena,  1502. 
Tristan  d'Acunha  received  the  name  of  the  Portu- 
guese navigator  who  discovered  it  in  1651.  The 
Canary  Islands  were  originally  so  called  on  ac- 
count of  the  numerous  dogs,  as  well  as  of  their  un- 
usual size(Latin  canis,  a  dog),  bred  here.  Madeira 
is  a  Portuguese  term  signifying  timber ;  the  in- 
ference being  that  this  island  was  formerly  covered 
by  an  immense  forest.  Majorca  and  Minorca, 
literally  in  accordance  with  the  Latin  major  and 
minor,  the  Greater  and  Lesser  Island,  are  de- 
nominated also  the  Balearic  Islands  from  the 
Greek  ballein,  to  throw,  because  their  inhabitants 
were  anciently  noted  slingers.  Corsica  is  a  Phoeni- 
cian word  denoting  "  the  wooded  island  "  ;  Sardinia 
expresses  the  "land  of  the  Sardonion,"  a  Greek 
term  for  a  plant  indigenous  to  this  island;  Capri 
signifies  the  "  island  of  goats,"  agreeably  to  the 
Latin  caper,  a  he-goat ;  Sicily  received  its  name  from 


The  Countries  of  the  World.  57 

the  Siculi,  a  tribe  who  settled  upon  it  in  early  times ; 
Malta  was  anciently  Melita,  "  the  place  of  refuge  "  ; 
Candia  comes  from  the  Arabic  Khanda,  "  the  island 
of  trenches  "  ;  and  Cyprus  from  the  Greek  Kupros, 
the  name  of  a  herb  with  which  this  island  abounds  ; 
while  Rhodes  indicates  an  "island  of  roses,"  in 
conformity  with  the  Greek  rhodon,  a  rose. 

Belleisle  is  French  for  "  beautiful  island " ; 
Jersey  was  originally  Czar-ey,  meaning  "  Caesar's 
Island,"  so  called  by  the  Romans  in  honour  of 
Julius  Caesar;  the  Isle  of  Wight  denoted  in  the 
long,  long  ago  the  Island  of  the  Wyts,  or  Jutes ;  just 
as  Gothland  indicated  a  settlement  of  the  Goths. 
Heligoland  expresses  the  Danish  for  "  holy  island 
settlement.''  Anglesea  is  really  a  corruption  of 
Anglesey,  signifying,  in  accordance  with  the  suffix  ey, 
the  Isle  of  the  Angles  [see  CHELSEA].  The  Isle  of 
Man  is  the  modern  designation  of  Mona  Island, 
by  which  was  meant,  agreeably  to  the  Celtic  man, 
a  stone  "  rocky  island."  The  Hebrides  were 
anciently  referred  to  by  Ptolemy  as  the  Ebuda,  and 
by  Pliny  as  the  Hebudes,  denoting  the  "  Western 
Isles  "  ;  the  Orkney  Isles  expresses  the  Gaelic  for 
the  "Isles  of  Whales,"  alluding  to  their  situation; 
and  the  Shetland  Isles,  the  Norse  for  the  "  Viking 
Island/'  conformably  with  their  native  prenomen 
Hyalti,  a  Viking.  The  term  VIKING,  by  the  way, 
meaning  a  pirate,  was  derived  from  the  Vik,  or  creek, 
in  which  he  lay  concealed.  The  name  of  Iceland 
needs  no  comment,  further  than  that,  perhaps,  the 
north  and  west  coasts  of  the  island  are  frequently 


58  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

blockaded  with  ice,  which  has  drifted  before  the  wind 
from  Greenland.  Spitzbergen  is  literal  Dutch  for 
"  sharp-pointed  mountains,"  referring  to  the  granite 
peaks  of  the  mountains,  which  are  so  characteristic 
of  this  group  of  islands;  while  Nova  Zembla  pre- 
sents a  strange  mixture  of  the  Latin  and  Slavonic, 
literally  "  new  land." 


THE  MONTHS,  AND  DA  YS  OF  THE 
WEEK. 

THE  titles  of  the  months  are  modernized  forms 
of  those  in  use  among  the  Romans,  namely : — 
January,  in  honour  of  Janus,  a  deity  who 
presidedoverthe  beginning  of  everything;  February, 
from  the  Latin  word  febru,  to  purify,  because  the 
purification  of  women  took  place  in  this  month  ; 
March,  after  Mars,  the  God  of  War ;  April,  from 
aperio,  to  open,  this  being  the  month  in  which  the 
buds  shoot  forth  ;  May,  after  Maia,  the  mother  of 
Mercury,  to  whom  sacrifices  were  offered  on  the  first 
day  of  this  month  ;  June,  from  Juno,  the  queen 
goddess  ;  July,  the  name  given  to  this  month  by 
Marc  Antony  in  honour  of  Julius  Caesar,  who  was 
born  in  it ;  August,  named  by  Augustus  Caesar  after 
himself,  because  in  this  month  he  celebrated  three 
distinct  triumphs,  reduced  Egypt  to  subjection,  and 
put  an  end  to  the  civil  wars ;  while  September, 
October,  November,  and  December  literally  ex- 
press the  seventh,  eighth,  ninth,  and  tenth  months  of 
the  old  Roman  Calendar,  counted  from  March,  which 
commenced  the  year  previous  to  the  addition  of 
January  and  February  by  Numa  in  the  year  713  B.C. 
The  Egyptian  astronomers  were  the  first  to  dis- 


60  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

tinguish  the  days  by  names,  when,  as  might  have 
been  expected,  they  called  them  after  the  Sun,  the 
Moon,  and  the  five  planets,  viz.,  Mars,  Mercury, 
Jupiter,  Venus,  and  Saturn.  Of  these  the  two  first 
and  the  last  survive,  but  for  the  rest  the  names  of  as 
many  gods  of  the  Scandinavian  mythology  have  been 
substituted.  Nowadays,  then,  we  have  the  following: 
— Sunday,  originally  signifying  the  day  upon  which 
the  sun  was  worshipped  ;  Monday,  the  day  of  the 
moon  ;  Tuesday,  devoted  to  Tiw,  the  God  of  War ; 
Wednesday,  set  apart  for  the  worship  of  Odin,  or 
Wodin,  the  God  of  Magic  and  the  Inventor  of  the 
Arts ;  Thursday,  the  day  of  Thor,  the  son  of  Odin 
(or  Wodin),  and  the  God  of  Thunder;  Friday,  allotted 
to  Frigga,  the  wife  of  Odin,  and  the  Goddess  of 
Marriage ;  and  Saturday,  the  day  of  Saturn,  one  of 
the  planets  of  the  solar  system. 


CREEDS,   SECTS,  AND  DENOMINA- 
TIONS. 

THEISM  and  Deism  both  express  a  belief  in 
God  ;  the  former  term  being  derived  from 
the  Greek  Theos,  God,  and  the  latter  from 
the  Latin,  Deus,  God.  The  Theist,  however, 
admits  the  Theocracy  or  Government  of  God 
(Greek  Theos,  God,  and  kratein,  to  govern) ;  the 
Deist,  on  the  contrary,  maintains  that  God  in  the 
beginning  implanted  in  all  His  works  certain  im- 
mutable laws,  comprehended  by  mankind  under  the 
name  of  the  "  Laws  of  Nature,'*  which  act  of  them- 
selves, and  are  no  longer  subject  to  the  supervision 
of  the  Creator.  Pantheism  (from  the  Greek  pan, 
all,  everything,  and  Theos,  God)  is  the  religion  which 
rejects  a  belief  in  a  personal  God,  but  recognizes  Him 
in  all  the  processes,  and  works,  and  glories,  and 
beauties  of  Nature,  and  animated  creation.  Briefly, 
the  Pantheist  holds  the  doctrine  that  "  God  is 
everything,  and  everything  is  God."  The  word 
Atheism  comes  from  the  Greek  Theos,  God,  and  the 
prefix  a,  without.  An  Atheist,  therefore,  practically 
answers  to  the  description  given  by  David  in  the 
opening  line  of  Psalm  xiv.,  "  The  fool  hath  said  in  his 
heart,  There  is  no  God."  Agnosticism  is  also 


62  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Greek,  in  accordance  with  the  prefix  a,  without, 
and  gnomi,  to  know.  An  Agnostic  is  one  whose  belief 
is  confined  to  that  which  he  knows  and  sees,  and 
who  rejects  everything  at  all  beyond  his  under- 
standing. Secularism,  derived  from  the  Latin 
seculum,  an  age,  a  generation,  is  the  term  given  to 
the  principles  advocated  by  Messrs.  Holyoake  in 
1846,  which  professed  an  entire  independence  of 
religion,  except  so  far  as  it  pertains  to  this  life.  The 
Secularist  aims  at  promoting  the  happiness  of  the 
community  during  the  present  life.  His  religion  is 
that  of  this  world,  without  troubling  himself  about 
possibilities  concerning  a  life  hereafter.  Such  views 
are  closely  allied  to  those  set  forth  by  John  Stuart 
Mill  (born  1806,  died  1873)  under  the  name  of 
Utilitarianism,  by  which  was  meant,  "  the  happi- 
ness of  the  greatest  number."  This  term  was  based 
upon  the  Latin  utilitas,  usefulness.  Spiritualism 
expresses  a  belief  in  the  soul's  immortality,  as 
opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  Materialism,  which  con- 
tends that  the  soul,  or  thinking  part  of  man,  is  the 
result  of  some  peculiar  organization  of  matter  in 
the  body,  with  which  it  must  necessarily  die. 
Rationalism  constitutes  the  doctrine  which  accepts 
the  test  of  Reason  and  Experience  in  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge,  particularly  in  regard  to  religious  truth, 
rejecting  the  gift  of  Faith,  Revelation,  and  every- 
thing connected  with  the  supernatural  or  miraculous. 
This  was  the  religion  (!)  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tionists, who  set  up  an  actress  to  be  publicly 
honoured  as  the  "  Goddess  of  Reason "  in  the 


Creeds,  Sects,  and  Denominations.  63 

Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame  on  the  loth  of  November, 


The  earliest  form  of  religion  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
was  Monotheism,  so  called  from  the  Greek  monos, 
alone,  only,  and  Theos,  God  ;  therefore  signifying 
a  belief  in,  and  the  worship  of,  one  Only  God.  The 
word  Religion  is  derived  from  the  Latin  religare, 
to  bind.  Hence,  Religion  implies  obedience,  sub- 
mission, and  an  acknowledgment  of  certain  orthodox 
doctrines  regarding  our  duty  to  a  Supreme  Power. 
Mosaism,  otherwise  Judaism,  denotes  the  religion 
of  the  Jews  as  enjoined  in  the  laws  of  Moses.  But 
even  during  that  favoured  period  when  God  mani- 
fested Himself  in  various  ways  to  the  children  of 
Israel,  Idolatry  prevailed.  Let  us  consider  what 
this  word  Idolatry  really  means.  Idol  is  a  con- 
traction of  the  Greek  eidolon,  the  diminutive  of  eidos, 
a  figure,  an  image,  or  that  which  is  seen,  derived  from 
the  verb  eidein,  to  see  ;  while  Idolater  is  made  up  of 
the  two  Greek  words,  eidolon,  and  latres,  one  who 
pays  homage,  a  worshipper.  An  Idolater,  therefore, 
is  a  worshipper  of  images,  or  that  which  he  sees. 
The  Israelites,  who  prostrated  themselves  before  the 
Golden  Calf,  were  strictly  Idolaters  ;  so  were  the 
Egyptians,  who  worshipped  the  sun,  the  moon,  the  ox, 
the  dog,  the  cat,  the  ibis,  and  the  ichneumon  ;  but  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  were  scarcely  Idolaters,  because 
the  mythological  deities  they  worshipped  were 
unseen  —  as  unseen  as  is  the  True  God  Himself. 
Neither  were  they  Pagans,  which  term,  from  the 
Latin  paganus,  a  countryman,  a  peasant,  based  upon 


64  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

pagus,  a  country,  a  district,  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  religion.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  were, 
in  fact,  Polytheists,  and  their  religion  was  Poly- 
theism, signifying,  in  accordance  with  the  Greek 
pohts,  many,  and  Theos,  God,  a  belief  in  more  gods 
than  one.  The  more  general  description  of  the 
religion  of  the  ancients  is  comprised  in  the  term 
Mythology,  written  in  the  Greek  mttihologia,  from 
muthos,  a  fable,  and  logos,  a  discourse. 

Alluding  to  the  Fire  Worshippers  of  the  East, 
who  fall  prostrate  in  adoration  of  the  sun,  it  should 
be  noted  that  these  do  not  actually  worship  the  sun, 
but  God,  whom  they  believe  to  reside  in  it.  This 
Sun  or  Fire  Worship,  the  religion  of  the  Parsees, 
otherwise  denominated  Zoroastrianism,  was  in- 
troduced into  Persia  by  Zoroaster  about  five  hun- 
dred years  before  the  Christian  era.  In  short, 
the  Parsees  are  the  descendants  of  those  who,  in 
Persia,  adhered  to  the  Zoroastrian  religion  after 
the  Moslem  or  Mahommedan  conquest  of  their 
country,  whence  they  were  at  length  driven  by 
Moslem  persecution  to  migrate  to  India.  The 
Brahmins  are  the  priests  or  higher  caste  of  the 
Hindoos,  who,  like  the  Burmese  proper  (whence  the 
name  of  their  Country  BURMAH  claim  to  be  descended 
from  Brahma,  the  supreme  deity  of  the  Hindoos 
religion.  The  Buddhists  are  the  followers  of 
Buddha,  a  Hindoo  sage  who  founded  the  doctrine 
of  Buddhism  in  the  sixth  century  B.C.  Mahom- 
medanism  is  the  religion  founded  by  Mahom- 
med,  or  Mahomet  (born  571,  died  632).  The  term 


Creeds,  Sects,  and  Denominations.  65 

Koran,  or  more  properly^/  Koran,  "  The  Koran/' 
which  constitutes  the  Bible  of  the  Mahommedans, 
is  Arabic  for  a  "  Reading,"  a  "  thing  to  be  read." 
The  native  name  of  the  Mahommedan  religion  is 
Islam,  resignation  and  obedience  to  God,  founded 
upon  the  verb  aslama,  to  bend,  to  submit,  to  sur- 
render. The  Mahommedans  of  Turkey  and  Persia 
usually  bear  the  style  of  Mussulmans,  a  corruption 
and  the  plural  of  the  Arabic  muslim,  rendered  into 
English  as  Moslem,  and  meaning  a  true  believer,  or 
one  who  holds  the  faith  of  Islam. 

Our  reference  to  Mahommedanism  having  carried 
us  some  six  hundred  years  beyond  the  foundation  of 
Christianity  by  Christ,  we  must  of  necessity 
retrace  our  steps.  Reverting  to  the  Jewish  people 
contemporary  with  Jesus  Christ  and  His  disciples, 
a  certain  portion  of  these  styled  themselves 
Pharisees  because  they  affected  a  greater  degree 
of  holiness  than  their  neighbours.  The  name  was 
derived  from  the  Hebrew  word  pharash,  separated. 
The  Nazarenes,  so  called  after  u  Jesus  of  Nazareth," 
were  a  sect  of  semi-converted  Jews,  who,  while 
believing  Christ  to  be  the  long-promised  Messiah, 
and  that  His  nature  was  Divine  as  well  as  human, 
nevertheless  continued  the  rites  and  ceremonies 
peculiar  to  Judaism.  The  Gnostics,  otherwise 
the  "  Knowers,"  pursuant  to  the  Greek  gnomi,  to 
know,  were  those  who  tried  to  accommodate  the 
Scriptures  to  the  speculations  of  Plato,  Pythagoras, 
and  other  ancient  philosophers ;  having  done  which 
to  their  own  satisfaction  they  refused  all  further 


66  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

knowledge  on  the  subject.  The  Aquarians  (Latin 
aqua,  water)  insisted  upon  the  use  of  water  in  the 
place  of  wine  in  the  Communion.  The  Allans 
were  the  followers  of  Arius,  a  presbyter  in  the 
Church  of  Alexandria,  universally  regarded  as  the 
first  heretic.  Soon  after  his  death  (in  336),  which 
was  ignominious  in  the  extreme,  the  Arians  re- 
nounced their  errors,  and  were  readmitted  into  the 
Church ;  but  this  gave  offence  to  another  section  of 
the  Christians  under  Lucifer,  Bishop  of  Cagliari, 
styling  themselves  the  Luciferians,  who  refused 
all  communication  with  the  reconverted  heretics. 
The  Donatists  were  the  followers  of  Donatus, 
Bishop  of  Numidia;  the  Macedonians,  of  Mace- 
donius,  Patriarch  of  Constantinople;  the  Apolli- 
narians,  of  Apollinarius,  Bishop  of  Laodicea  and 
Greek  Christian  philosopher.  These  various  sects 
arose  in  the  fourth  century  of  the  Church. 

The  term  Catholic,  derived  from  the  Greek 
Katholos,  compounded  out  of  Kata,  throughout,  and 
olos,  whole,  signifies  One,  Universal.  During  the 
first  nine  centuries  of  Christianity  the  Catholic 
Church  was  indeed  universal ;  but  at  that  epoch 
it  became  necessary  to  distinguish  between  the 
Eastern  or  Greek  Church,  and  the  Western  or 
Church  of  Rome,  by  adding  the  word  "  Roman  " 
to  the  original  Church  founded  by  St.  Peter  and 
perpetuated  by  his  successors  the  Popes.  The 
Greek  Church,  which  constitutes  the  orthodox 
religion  of  Greece,  Moldavia,  and  Russia,  differs 
principally  from  the  Roman  Catholic  in  regard  to 


Creeds,  Sects,  and  Denominations.  67 

the  Papal  supremacy,  and  the  doctrine  of  Holy 
Ghost  proceeding  from  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
The  employment  of  the  full  title  of  Roman 
Catholic  Church  is  at  all  times  necessary  in 
England  when  alluding  to  Christian  doctrine  in 
order  to  avoid  probable  confusion  with  the  Estab- 
lished Church  of  this  country  which  retains  in  its 
Creed  the  designation  of  "  The  Holy  Catholic 
Church."  This  is  because  at  the  Reformation  the 
Church  of  England,  then  styled  the  Anglican 
Church,  professed  to  be  the  Catholic  Church 
governed  by  the  reigning  monarch  instead  of  the 
Pope  of  Rome. 

The  Gallican  Church  is  the  so-called  Church  of 
France  or  Gaul,  the  ancient   name    of  the  country. 
Pere    Hyacinth,    its    founder,    whose    church    was 
opened  in  Paris  February  7,  1870,  originally  sepa- 
rated from  the  Church  of  Rome   owing  to  his  dis- 
approval of  the  enforced  celibacy  of  the  clergy.     The 
Lutheran  Church  of  Germany  took  its  name  from 
Martin   Luther   (born   1483,   died    1546),   the   monk 
who  became  the  pioneer  of  Protestantism.     In  the 
'year  1529  the   Emperor   Charles    V.    summoned   a 
Diet  at  Spiers  for  the  avowed  object  of  enlisting  the 
aid  of  the   German  Princes   against  the  Turks,  but 
really  to  devise   some  means   of  tranquillizing  the 
disturbances   which    had    grown    out    of    Luther's 
opposition   to   the  Church  of   Rome,  and  restoring 
the  national  religion.     Against  a  decree  drawn  up 
at  this  Diet  six  princes  and  the  deputies  of  thirteen 
imperial  towns  offered  a  vehement  protest,  and  ever 


68  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

afterwards  the  Lutherans  were  in  consequence 
styled  Protestants.  The  first  Standard  of  Faith, 
according  to  the  doctrines  of  Luther,  is  known  as 
The  Augsburg  Confession,  because  it  was  pre- 
sented by  Luther  and  Melancthon  to  Charles  V., 
during  the  sitting  of  the  Imperial  Diet  at  Augsburg 
in  the  year  1530. 

The  Calvinists  were  the  followers  of  John  Calvin 
(born  1509,  died  1604),  the  zealous  reformer  of 
Switzerland.  In  due  time  these  also  styled  them- 
selves Protestants.  From  Switzerland  Protestantism 
spread  into  France  through  the  energy  of  a  Genevese 
Calvinist  named  Hugh  or  Hugue,  after  whom  the 
French  Protestants  adopted  the  name  of  Hugue- 
nots. 

But  Luther  and  Calvin  were  by  no  means  the 
earliest  of  the  reformers. 

In  England  the  Wycliffites,  or  followers  of  John 
Wycliffe  (born  1324,  died  1387),  became  known  as 
Gospellers,  after  their  leader  had  completed  the 
translation  of  the  Bible  in  1377.  Eventually  they 
adopted  the  title  of  Lollards,  in  imitation  of  a  sect 
of  German  reformers  headed  by  Walter  Lollard, 
a  dissolute  priest,  who  turned  theologian  and  was 
publicly  burned  for  heresy  at  Cologne  in  1322.  In 
France  the  precursors  of  the  Huguenots  were  the 
Albigenses  of  Languedoc,  so  called  because  their 
capital  was  Albi,  and  its  people  were  called  the 
Albigeois,  early  in  the  twelfth  century;  and  in  1170, 
the  Waldenses,  inhabiting  the  wooded  districts  of 
Valdois  and  Piedmont.  The  latter  received  their 


Creeds,  Sects,  and  Denominations.  69 

designation  in  accordance  with  the  German  walden, 
forests.  The  Camisards,  or  wearers  of  the  Camise, 
a  peasant's  smock,  to  conceal  their  armour,  com- 
prised a  body  of  Protestant  insurgents  who  took 
up  arms  in  the  district  of  the  Cevennes  after  the 
revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  by  Louis  XIV., 
October  22,  1685.  As  these  always  conducted  their 
attacks  upon  the  soldiery  under  cover  of  the  dark* 
ness  the  term  "  Camisard "  in  military  parlance 
soon  came  to  imply  a  night  attack.  The  Protestants 
of  Bohemia  were  styled  Hussites,  after  John  Huss 
{born  1373,  burned  1415) ;  they  were  also  known  as 
Bethlemites  from  the  Church  of  Bethlehem  in 
Prague,  in  which  Huss  used  to  hurl  forth  his 
denunciations  against  the  Church  of  Rome.  The 
Moravians,  otherwise  The  United  Brethren, 
who  were  driven  by  persecutions  from  Moravia  and 
Bohemia  in  the  last  century,  claimed  to  be  descen- 
dants of  the  original  Hussites. 

Having  now  traced  the  rise  of  Protestantism 
generally,  let  us  at  once  dispose  of  the  various  sects 
and  denominations  before  confining  ourselves  to  the 
Established  Church  and  its  offshoots. 

The  Adamites  were  the  fanatical  followers  of  one 
Picard,  in  Bohemia,  self-styled  "  Adam,  Son  of  God/' 
who,  about  the  year  1400,  proposed  to  reduce  man- 
kind to  a  state  of  primitive  innocence  and  enjoyment. 
No  clothes  were  worn,  wives  were  held  in  common, 
and  many  other  violations  of  Nature  were  committed 
ere  they  finally  disappeared  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 
A  similar  sect  were  the  Libertines,  in  Holland. 


70  Names:   and  their  Meaning. 

These  contended  that  nothing  could  be  regarded  as. 
sinful  in  a  community  where  each  was  at  full  liberty 
to  act  up  to  his  natural  dictates  and  passions.  The 
Jansenists  favoured  the  doctrines  of  Jansenius, 
Bishop  of  Ypres,  in  France  (born  1585,  died  1638)* 
For  a  long  period  these  maintained  an  open  warfare 
with  the  Jesuists,  properly,  soldiers,  of  the  "  Society 
of  Jesus  "  [see  RELIGIOUS  ORDERS],  until  they  were 
finally  put  down  by  Pope  Clement  in  1705.  The 
Gabrielites  were  a  sect  of  Anabaptists  of  Germany 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  named  after  Gabriel 
Scherling,  their  founder.  The  Labadists  were  a 
sect  of  Protestant  ascetics  of  the  seventeenth 
century  who  conformed  to  the  rules  laid  down  by 
Jean  Labadie,  of  Bourg,  in  Germany.  The  So- 
cinians,  a  sect  corresponding  to  the  modern 
Unitarians,  owed  their  existence  to  Laelius  Socinus, 
an  Italian  theologian  in  1546.  The  anti-Calvinists 
of  Holland  were  styled  Arminians,  after  the 
Latinized  name  (Jacobus  Arminius)  of  their  leader, 
James  Harmensen  (born  1560,  died  1609).  The 
New  Christians  comprised  a  number  of  Portuguese 
Jews  in  the  fifteenth  century,  who,  although  they 
consented  to  be  baptised  under  compulsion,  still 
practised  the  Mosaic  rites  and  ceremonies  in  secret. 
The  Old  Catholics  of  Germany  are  the  followers  of 
the  late  Dr.  Dollinger,  of  Munich  (born  1799,  died 
1890),  who  refused  to  accept  the  dogma  of  the 
infallability  of  the  Pope  promulgated  July  18,  1870. 

In  our  own  country  the   Scotists  were  those  who 
adopted   the   opinions   of  John  Duns  Scotus  (born 


Creeds,  Sects,  and  Denominations.  71 

1272,  died  1308),  concerning  the  doctrines  of  the  Im- 
maculate Conception,  in  opposition  to  the  Thomists, 
or  followers  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (born  1227,  died 
1274),  who  denied  that  the  Virgin  was  conceived 
without  sin.  The  Sabbatarians,  known  also  as  the 
Seventh  Day  Baptists,  founded  by  Brabourne,  a 
clergyman  who,  about  the  year  1628,  maintained  that 
the  seventh  day  was  the  real  Sabbath  as  ordained 
at  the  beginning.  The  Fifth  Monarchy  Men, 
who  came  into  existence  during  the  reign  of  Charles 
I.,  believed  in  the  early  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
re-establish  the  four  great  monarchies  of  the  ancient 
world,  viz.,  the  Assyrian,  Persian,  Macedonian,  and 
Roman,  contemporaneously  with  the  fifth,  the  Mil- 
lennium. The  Muggletonians  were  the  followers 
of  one  Ludovic  Muggleton,  a  journeyman  tailor,  who 
set  himself  up  as  a  prophet  in  1651.  The  Society 
of  Friends  originally  styled  themselves  Seekers, 
because  they  sought  the  truth  after  the  manner 
of  Nicodemus,  the  Jewish  ruler,  as  narrated  in  St. 
John  iii.  1-21.  They  were  first  designated  Quakers 
by  Justice  Bennet  of  Derby,  in  1650,  in  consequence 
of  George  Fox,  the  founder,  having  admonished  him 
and  all  present  to  quake  on  hearing  the  Word  of 
the  Lord.  The  Seekers  came  into  existence  in  1646. 
The  White  Quakers,  who  seceded  from  the 
main  body  about  1840,  are  distinguished  by  their 
white  clothing.  The  original  sect  of  the  Shakers, 
first  heard  of  in  the  time  of  Charles  I.,  received  its 
name  from  the  convulsive  movements  indulged  in 
by  its  members  as  part  of  their  peculiar  form  of 


72  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

worship.  The  modern  sect  sprang  from  a  body  of 
expelled  Quakers,  headed  by  James  Wardley,  in 
1747.  They  emigrated  to  America  in  May,  1772, 
and  formed  a  permanent  settlement  near  Albany, 
New  York,  two  years  afterwards.  The  Mormons 
derived  their  designation  from  "  The  Book  of 
Mormon,"  claimed  to  be  a  lost  portion  of  the  Bible 
written  by  the  angel  Mormon,  the  last  of  the  Hebrew 
line  of  prophets,  and  found  inscribed  in  Egyptian 
characters  upon  plates  of  gold  by  Joseph  Smith,  the 
founder  of  the  sect,  in  the  year  1827.  This  work 
was  really  written  by  the  Rev.  Solomon  Spalding, 
who  died  in  1816.  Joseph  Smith  died  in  1844.  The 
Peculiar  People  are  so  styled  because  they  believe 
in  the  efficacy  of  prayer  on  the  part  of  their  elders, 
and  the  anointing  with  oil  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
for  the  cure  of  sickness  as  set  forth  in  James  v.  14. 
This  sect  was  first  heard  of  in  London  in  1838. 
The  Faith  Healers,  or  those  who  uphold  the 
doctrine  of  Healing  by  Faith,  lately  sprung  up  in 
our  midst,  may  be  regarded  as  an  offshoot  of  the 
Peculiar  People.  The  Irvingites  are  the  followers 
of  Edward  Irving,  a  Scottish  divine  (born  1792,  died 
1834),  who  maintained  that  Christ  was  liable  to 
commit  sin  in  common  with  the  rest  of  mankind. 
The  Humanitarians  incline  to  the  same  belief. 
The  Sacramentarians  are  those  who  deny  the 
Real  Presence  in  the  Holy  Eucharist:  the  Calvinists 
were  originally  known  by  this  title.  The  Plymouth 
Brethren  first  appeared  at  Plymouth  about  the 
year  1830 ;  they  so  style  themselves  because  they 


Creeds,  Sects,  and  Denominations.  73 

confess  Christ  as  a  fraternal  community  and  do  not 
recognize  any  order  of  ministers.  The  Perfec- 
tionists of  North  America  are  so  called  owing  to 
their  rejection  of  civil  laws,  on  the  plea  that  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  suffices  for  all  earthly 
as  well  as  spiritual  affairs.  Another  body  of  co- 
religionists peculiar  to  North  America  are  the 
Hopkinsians,  named  after  Samuel  Hopkins,  of 
Connecticut,  their  founder.  The  doctrines  which 
they  hold  are  mainly  Calvinistic. 

The  Scottish  Covenanters  were  those  who 
subscribed  to  a  solemn  league  or  covenant  to  stand 
by  each  other  in  opposition  to  the  religious  and 
political  measures  of  Charles  I.  This  occurred  in 
1638.  In  less  than  ten  years  afterwards  the 
Covenanters,  having  increased  in  numbers  and  power, 
assumed  the  entire  direction  of  their  own  ecclesias- 
tical affairs  and  styled  themselves  Presbyterians, 
a  term  derived  from  the  Greek  presbuteros,  an  elder, 
because  they  contended  that  the  government  of  the 
Church  as  set  forth  in  the  New  Testament  was  by 
presbyters,  equal  in  office,  power,  and  order.  The 
national  Church  of  Scotland,  therefore,  when  at 
length  it  was  recognized  by  the  English  Parliament, 
bore  the  title  of  the  Scottish  Presbyterian 
Church.  It  was,  however,  not  long  before  dis- 
sensions became  rife.  The  strictest  body  of  the 
Presbyterians  adopted  the  style  of  Cameronians, 
after  the  name  of  their  leader,  Archibald  Cameron, 
who  was  executed  in  1688  on  account  of  his 
religious  opinions ;  while  an  equally  numerous 


74  Names  :    and  their  Meaning. 

body,  headed  by  John  Macmillan,  became  known  as 
Macmillanites,  and  also  as  The  Reformed 

Presbytery.  A  much  later  sect  was  that  founded 
in  1841  by  James  Morison,  under  the  designation 
of  the  Morisonians.  But  the  most  alarming  split 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church  took  place  May  18, 1843, 
when  Dr.  Chalmers,  with  a  large  following,  estab- 
lished a  separate  community,  entitled  The  Free 
Church  of  Scotland. 

The  Puritans  of  England  were  to  the  Established 
Church  what  the  Pharisees  were  to  the  Jews.  And 
not  only  did  these  Puritans  profess  a  greater  purity 
of  doctrine,  of  morals,  and  of  living,  than  their 
neighbours,  but  they  embraced  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity of  separating  themselves  from  the  Church  of 
England  altogether.  They  were,  in  fact,  the  first  of 
the  Dissenters.  On  August  24,  1662,  which  date 
witnessed  the  secession  of  nearly  two  thousand 
ministers  from  the  Church  of  England  through  their 
non-compliance  with  the  "  Act  of  Uniformity,"  the 
Puritans  joined  forces  with  the  latter,  and  the 
combined  body  assumed  the  name  of  Noncon- 
formists. The  Protestants  were,  consequently, 
divided  into  two  great  parties — the  Conformists,  or 
those  who  conformed  to  the  requirements  laid  down 
in  the  "  Act  of  Conformity,"  and  the  Nonconfor- 
mists. The  latter  have  in  more  recent  times  borne 
the  name  of  Dissenters,  because  they  dissent  from 
the  Established  Church.  The  Sectarians  are 
Dissenters  who  attach  themselves  to  one  or  other  of 
the  numerous  sects  and  denominations  which  exist 


Creeds,  Sects,  and  Denominations.  75 

outside  the  Church  of  England.  The  Congrega- 
tionalists  and  the  Independents  are  one  and  the 
same.  They  maintain  that  each  congregation  is  an 
independent  religious  community  entitled  to  exercise 
the  right  of  appointing  its  own  ministers  and 
managing  its  own  affairs.  These  tenets  were  first 
publicly  advanced  by  Robert  Brown,  a  violent  op- 
ponent of  the  Established  Church,  in  Rutlandshire, 
as  early  as  the  year  1585.  The  Unitarians  are  the 
modern  Socinians  already  alluded  to.  They  are 
opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity ;  and,  conse- 
quently, to  the  Trinitarians.  The  Baptists  not 
only  reject  infant  baptism,  but  hold  that  the  adult 
subject  should  be  baptized  after  the  manner  in  which 
Christ  was  baptized  by  St.  John.  On  this  account 
the  original  Baptists,  who  arose  about  1521,  received 
the  name  of  Anabaptists,  because,  having  been 
already  baptized  during  infancy,  they  of  necessity 
went  through  the  ceremony  a  second  time  on 
arriving  at  full  age.  The  prefix  ana  is  Greek, 
signifying  twice.  The  followers  of  John  Wesley  (born 
1703,  died  1791)  and  his  brother,  Charles  Wesley 
(born  1708,  died  1788),  were  styled  Methodists, 
owing  to  the  methodical  strictness  of  their  lives  and 
religious  exercises.  They  were  also  denominated 
Wesleyans,  or  Wesleyan  Methodists,  in  contra- 
distinction to  the  Primitive  Methodists,  or 
Ranters,  who  separated  from  the  original  sect 
under  Hugh  Bourne,  in  1810,  and  retained  the  style 
of  open-air  preaching  peculiar  to  John  Wesley  in 
his  early  itinerant  days. 


76  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

The  terms  "  High  Church"  and  "  Low  Church" 
first  came  into  prominence  during  the  reign  of 
Queen  Anne.  Nowadays,  as  then,  that  section  is 
styled  High  Church  which  regards  the  Church  of 
England  as  the  only  ark  of  salvation,  while  the 
less  apprehensive  and  more  moderate  section  is 
called  Low  Church.  Those  who  take  a  still  more 
liberal  and  comprehensive  view  of  orthodox  doc- 
trine belong  to  what  is  known  as  the  Broad 
Church,  which  is  but  another  name  for  Latitu- 
diiiarianism,  as  originally  professed  by  a  number 
of  divines  opposed  alike  to  the  Puritans  and  the 
High  Church  party  in  the  time  of  Charles  I.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Ritualists  comprise  the  extreme 
High  Church  party  who  are  anxious  to  return  to 
the  ritual  of  public  worship  in  vogue  during  the 
reign  of  Edward  VI.  Prior  to  1866,  in  which  year 
the  term  arose,  these  High  Churchmen  bore  the 
name  of  Puseyites,  because  they  agreed  with  the 
views  set  forth  by  Dr.  Pusey  in  his  celebrated 
"  Tracts  for  the  Times,"  published  at  Oxford 
between  1833  and  1841.  Those  scholars  who 
assisted  Dr.  Pusey  in  the  composition  of  these 
Oxford  Tracts,  as  they  were  called,  as  well  as  the 
public  at  large  who  believed  in  their  teaching,  were 
styled  Tractarians;  while  the  great  Roman  Catholic 
revival  that  took  place  in  the  Church  of  England  at 
this  period  universally  bore,  and  still  bears,  the  name 
of  the  Oxford  Movement. 


TAVERN   SIGNS. 

HOTEL  is  a  French  term,  derived  from  hostil, 
a  lordly  house,  a  palace.  The  designation 
Public  House,  signifying  a  house  of  public 
resort  for  refreshment  and  conviviality,  is  a  modern 
substitute  for  Tavern,  founded  upon  the  Anglo- 
Sazon  tab,  a  cup,  and  am,  a  place,  and  also  for 
Inn,  or  rather,  as  originally  written,  Inne,  which 
expressed  the  Anglo-Saxon  for  a  mansion.  And 
here  we  may  at  once  observe  that  by  far  the 
majority  of  our  mediaeval  inns  and  Hostelries 
[see  HOTEL]  grew  out  of  the  mansions  of  the 
nobility  during  the  prolonged  absence  of  their 
owners.  At  such  times  the  privilege  of  utilizing 
the  mansion  for  his  own  profit  naturally  fell  to  the 
family's  most  trustworthy  dependent,  viz.,  the  head 
gamekeeper,  whose  green  costume  gave  existence  to 
the  sign  of  The  Green  Man,  when,  after  quitting 
the  family's  service,  he  set  up  an  inn  on  his  own 
account  either  in  connection  with  his  own  cottage  or 
abutting  on  the  public  highway.  Nevertheless,  this 
sign  had  nothing  in  common  with  that  of  the  The 
Green  Man  and  Still,  expressive  of  a  herbalist 
bringing  his  herbs  to  a  distillery,  and  which  was 
doubtless  the  sign  of  a  herbalist  turned  innkeeper. 


78  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

As  the  family  arms  always  occupied  a  prominent 
position    on    the    front  of  the    mansion  these   soon 
became    known   far   and   wide,   though    scarcely  in 
accordance    with    their    full    heraldic    significance. 
Briefly,  the  most  conspicuous  object  in  them  sufficed 
to  impress  itself  upon  the  minds  of  travellers  as  the 
distinguishing  sign  of  the  establishment;    so  that, 
instead  of  speaking  of  lions  gules  and  lions  azure,  &c., 
they  simplified  matters  by  referring  to  red  and  blue 
lions,  &c.     Such  was  the  origin,  then,  of  The  Red 
Lion,  The  Blue  Lion,  and  many  another  familiar 
sign  of  this  character.     Moreover,  as  a  variation  of 
the  same  device  entered  into  the  arms  of  different 
families,    it    happened    that    the    most    conspicuous 
object  in  them  became  popular  in  different  parts  of 
the   country  at    the    same    time.      Another   fruitful 
source  of  the  rapid    multiplication   of  a  particular 
sign  throughout  the  same  county,  and  even  upon  the 
same  estate,  was  the  fact  that  as  often  as  a  retired 
dependent  of  a  nobleman's  family  turned  innkeeper, 
he  was  pretty  certain  to  name  his  establishment  in 
accordance    with    the    popular    description    of    the 
original  inn  or   mansion.     If- it   chanced,  however, 
that   that   sign    had   already  been    appropriated    by 
another   innkeeper   in    the    immediate   vicinity,   the 
full  cognizance  of  the  ground  landlord  was  adopted. 
Thus,  in  the  Midland  Counties  there  is  no  sign  so 
common  as  The  Bear  and  Ragged  Staff,  which 
was  the  cognizance  of  the   Earl  of  Warwick,  the 
King  Maker.      Similarly,  The    Boar's    Head   was 
the  cognizance  of  the  Gordons ;    The  Black  Bull, 


Tavern  Signs.  79 

that  of  the  House  of  Clare  ;  and  The  Talbot,  that 
of  the  House  of  Shrewsbury.  Another  oft-to-be-met- 
with  sign  is  The  Chequers,  which  comprised  the 
arms  of  the  Earls  of  Fitzwarren  who,  in  the  time  of 
the  Plantagenets,  held  the  right  of  granting  the 
vintners  their  licences.  Later  in  our  history  the 
same  cognizance  was  adopted  by  the  Stuarts.  As 
every  one  is  aware,  The  Red  Rose  was  the  recog- 
nized badge  of  the  Lancastrians,  and  The  White 
Rose  that  of  the  Yorkists.  It  may  be  assumed 
that  these  two  signs  were  naturally  more  popular 
throughout  the  country  at  large  during  the  Wars 
of  the  Roses  than  at  any  subsequent  period. 
During  that  turbulent  period  of  English  history, 
too,  the  devices  of  the  se»veral  adherents  of  the  rival 
houses  were  not  unfrequently  chosen  in  commemo- 
ration of  a  particular  event ;  as,  for  example,  after 
the  Battle  of  Barnet,  when  The  Star,  the  badge  of 
the  Earl  of  Oxford  who  decided  the  fate  of  that  day, 
sprang  up  as  an  inn-sign  in  all  directions,  except,  of 
course,  upon  Yorkist  ground. 

Where  the  innkeeper  was  not  bound  by  any  ties 
of  gratitude  or  regard  to  the  ground  landlord  he 
evinced  his  loyalty  to  the  reigning  monarch  by 
adopting  a  portion  of  the  royal  arms.  As  examples 
of  this  class  : — The  White  Swan  was  the  badge  of 
Edward  III.  and  of  Henry  IV.;  The  White  Swan 
and  Antelope,  of  Henry  V. ;  The  White  Hart, 
and  The  Sun,  both  of  Richard  II.;  The  White 
Lion,  of  Edward  IV.  as  Earl  of  March,  and  The 
Three  Suns,  of  Edward  IV.  as  King  of  England ; 


8o  Names:   and  their  Meaning. 

The  Eagle,  of  Queen  Mary ;  The  Blue  Boar,  of 
Richard  III.;  The  Red  Dragon,  that  of  Henry 
VII.,  chosen  for  his  standard  after  the  Battle  of 
Bosworth  Field,  and  The  Greyhound,  his  original 
badge  as  King.  The  Rose  is  the  symbol  of  England, 
just  as  The  Thistle  stands  for  Scotland,  The 
Shamrock  for  Ireland,  and  The  Leek  for  Wales. 
A  very  general  expression  of  loyalty,  again,  was 
conveyed  in  the  sign  of  The  Crown,  which,  by  the 
way,  was  shrewdly  complimentary  to  the  reigning 
house  without  offering  offence  to  the  partisans  of  a 
rival  claimant  to  the  throne.  The  Rose  and 
Crown  had  reference  originally  to  the  union  of  the 
red  and  white  roses  in  the  House  of  Tudor  by  the 
marriage  of  Henry  VII.  with  Elizabeth,  the  daughter 
of  Edward  IV.,  in  the  year  1486 ;  The  Crown  and 
Sceptre  must  have  originated  in  the  mind  of  one 
who  had  been  witness  to  the  elaborate  ceremonial 
peculiar  to  a  coronation;  while  the  The  Crown 
and  Anchor  signified  the  reliance  which  was  placed 
in  the  exalted  person  that  wore  the  crown. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  our  mediaeval  innkeeper 
chose  to  flatter  the  ground  landlord  without  actually 
adopting  his  cognizance,  he  invariably  named  his 
establishment  after  his  lordship's  family  title,  e.g., 
The  Earl  of  March,  in  compliment  to  the  Duke 
of  Richmond,  or  else  set  up  some  such  sign  as  The 
Hare  and  Hounds,  The  Tally  Ho!  The  Fox 
in  the  Hole,  &c.,  in  allusion  to  the  sporting  tastes 
of  his  patron.  At  times  he  even  went  so  far  as  to 
enter  into  the  religious  enthusiasm  of  the  latter  by 


Tavern  Signs.  81 

exhibiting  a  preference  for  The  Angel  or  The 
Salutation,  both  referring  to  the  Annunciation  of 
the  Virgin ;  The  Three  Kings,  meaning  the  Magi 
who  presented  themselves  to  the  Infant  at  Beth- 
lehem ;  or  The  Cross  Keys,  the  symbol  of  St. 
Peter,  and  the  badge  of  the  Archbishop  of  York. 
The  sign  of  The  Mitre  was  generally  adopted  by 
an  innkeeper  whose  establishment  stood  in  the 
vicinity  of  a  cathedral ;  consequently,  this  particular 
sign  abounds  in  cities,  but  is  rarely  to  be  met  with 
in  the  rural  districts. 

During  the  period  of  the  Holy  Wars,  if  the 
innkeeper  did  not  content  himself  with  the  sign  of 
The  Turk's  Head  or  The  Saracen's  Head,  that 
of  The  Golden  Cross,  which  was  the  ensign  carried 
by  the  Crusaders,  was  usually  chosen.  The  modern 
sign  of  The  Half-Moon  originated  in  the  crescent, 
the  ensign  of  the  Infidel.  The  signs  of  The  Swan, 
The  Pheasant,  and  The  Peacock  arose  in  the 
days  of  knight-errantry,  when  every  knight  selected 
one  of  these  birds  as  an  emblem  of  chivalry,  and 
exerted  a  pride  in  the  association.  For  example, 
one  of  the  principal  characters  in  the  "  Niebelungen 
Lied  "  is  called  "  The  Knight  of  the  Swan."  Then, 
again,  many  innkeepers  assumed  a  sign  in  honour  of 
the  patron  saint  of  England,  or  in  commemoration 
of  his  combat  with  the  dragon,  viz.,  The  St,  George, 
The  St,  George  and  Dragon,  The  George  and 
Dragon,  The  Green  Dragon,  &c.  The  George, 
a  common  sign  enough  in  our  own  day — it  would  be 
difficult  to  name  a  town  that  has  not  its  "  George  " 

6 


8 2  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

in  the  High  Street — was  originally  connected  with 
the  dragon  too ;  but  at  the  commencement  of  the 
Hanoverian  succession  the  heraldic  device  was 
painted  out  altogether,  and  the  words  THE  GEORGE 
were  put  up  in  its  place.  The  like  observation 
applies  to  all  such  signs  as  The  King's  Arms, 
The  Queen's  Arms,  The  Freemasons'  Arms, 
The  Coachmakers'  Arms,  The  Saddlers'  Arms, 
The  Carpenters'  Arms,  &c.,  nowadays  identified 
by  name  only,  instead  of  their  distinctive  badge  or 
crest.  We  must  not  omit  to  mention  also  that, 
since  the  especial  function  of  tavern  and  other  signs 
was  to  call  attention  to  the  character  of  an  estab- 
lishment in  days  when  the  people  were  unable 
to  read,  and  when,  therefore,  the  display  of  the 
owner's  name  or  of  the  name  of  the  house 
would  have  been  useless,  the  misapprehension 
of  the  painted  device  was  of  common  occurrence. 
Hence  the  corruption  of  many  signs  from  their 
original  meaning. 

Perhaps  the  most  glaring  instance  of  this  kind 
originated  in  the  sign  of  The  Garter,  or  the  insignia 
of  the  Order  of  the  Garter  represented  in  its  proper 
position  on  a  leg  (whence  we  have  the  intelligible 
sign  of  The  Star  and  Garter) ;  yet  the  vulgar 
mind  quite  failed  to  grasp  the  idea,  with  a  result 
that  a  house  exhibiting  this  sign  was  invariably 
referred  to  as  The  Leg  and  Star.  Corruptions 
of  a  different  character  are  of  later  date,  when  the 
name  of  the  house  instead  of  the  device  began  to 
make  its  appearance  on  an  innkeeper's  signboard. 


Tavern  Signs.  83 

Chief  among  these  are : — The  Cat  and  Fiddle,  a 

perversion  of  "  Caton  le  Fidele,"  in  honour  of  Caton, 
the  faithful  Governor  of  Calais  ;  The  Bag  o'  Nails, 
of  "The  Bacchanals,"  in  reference  to  Pan  and  the 
Satyrs ;  The  Goat  and  Compasses,  of  the  Puritan 
motto  "God  encompass  us";  The  Iron  Devil,  of 
"The  Hirondelle,"  or  swallow;  The  Bull  and 
Mouth,  and  The  Bull  and  Gate,  of  "The 
Boulogne  Mouth  "  and  "  The  Boulogne  Gate,"  in 
compliment  to  Henry  VIII. ,  who  effected  the  siege 
of  Boulogne  and  its  harbour  in  1544;  The  Lion  and 
Key,  of  "  The  Lion  on  the  Quay,"  meaning  a  house 
bearing  the  sign  of  The  Lion,  and  situated  by  the 
water-side,  in  order  to  distinguish  it  from  other 
Lions  in  the  same  port ;  The  Cat  and  Wheel,  of 
"  The  Catherine  Wheel,"  the  instrument  of  St. 
Catherine's  martyrdom;  The  Plume  and  Feathers, 
of  "The  Plume  of  Feathers,"  in  allusion  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales;  The  Bully  Ruffian,  of  "The 
Bellerophon,"  the  vessel  on  board  of  which  Napoleon 
surrendered  his  sword  to  Captain  Maitland  after  his 
defeat  at  Waterloo;  and  The  Blue  Pig,  a  mere 
modification  of  "  The  Blue  Boar."  The  Pig  and 
Whistle  is  a  very  old  sign,  the  term  whistle  being  a 
corruption  of  "  wassail,"  and  pig,  the  Old  English  for 
a  bowl  or  cup.  Surely  there  could  be  no  more 
fitting  sign  for  a  tavern  than  that  which  suggested 
the  drinking  of  healths  ! 

The  original  character  of  many  of  our  country 
inns  is  at  once  indicated  by  their  signs.  Thus, 
The  Coach  and  Horses  was  clearly,  before  the 


84  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

introduction  of  railways,  a  coaching  establishment  ,- 
while  The  Pack  Horse  announced  the  fact  that 
pack-horses  were  let  out  on  hire.  Again,  The  Bear 
— subject  to  sundry  modifications,  such  as  The 
Brown  Bear,  The  Black  Bear,  The  Grizzly 
Bear — informed  the  frequenters  of  such  resorts  that 
bear-baiting  might  be  witnessed  on  the  premises ; 
exactly  as,  nearer  to  our  own  day,  The  Dog  and 
Duck  called  attention  to  the  popular  diversion  of 
duck-hunting  by  spaniels  in  a  pond.  The  Skittles 
and  The  Bowling  Green  indicated  a  more  rational 
kind  of  sport.  Once  more,  The  Grapes  conveyed 
the  intelligence  that  a  vinery  existed  in  connection 
with  the  establishment;  whereas  The  Castle,  which 
constitutes  the  arms  of  Spain,  The  Globe,  the  arms 
of  the  King  of  Portugal,  and  The  Spread  Eagle,, 
the  arms  of  Germany,  told  that  the  wines  of  those 
respective  countries  were  to  be  had  there.  In  the 
north  of  England  the  sign  of  The  Yorkshire  Stingo 
is  very  common,  the  allusion  being  to  an  old  beer 
of  particular  strength  and  sharpness  for  which  the 
county  of  York  has  won  considerable  celebrity. 

Among  other  familiar  country  inn  and  tavern  signs. 
may  be  mentioned  The  Bell,  referring  to  the  silver 
bell  that  formed  the  prize  at  races  previous  to  the 
Restoration ;  The  Barley  Mow,  denoting  the 
premises  where  the  barley  was  housed,  mowe  being 
the  Saxon  term  for  "  a  heap  "  ;  and  The  Old  Hat,. 
which  in  the  olden  time  may  have  been  the  shop  of 
a  hatter  rejoicing  in  the  sign  of  "  The  Hat,"  and  sub- 
sequently converted  into  a  place  of  refreshment. 


Tavern  Signs.  85 

Another  distinctly  tradesmanlike  sign  is  The  Ram 
and  Teazle,  which  was  originally  chosen  in  com- 
pliment to  the  Clothiers'  Company ;  the  lamb  with 
the  golden  fleece  being  emblematical  of  wool,  and 
the  teazle,  a  tool  used  for  raising  the  nap  of  the 
wool  when  woven  into  cloth.  The  Bricklayers' 
Arms  merely  indicate  a  house  of  call  for  brick- 
layers;  while  The  Cricketers'  Arms  derives  its 
title  from  a  neighbouring  cricket-ground.  The  sig- 
nificance of  The  Tankard,  The  Bottle,  and  similar 
signs,  need  not  detain  us.  We  may,  however,  state 
that  The  Black  Jack  refers  to  a  leathern  pitcher 
for  holding  beer,  which  took  its  name  from  the 
defensive  breastplate  of  strong  leather  formerly 
worn  by  horsemen,  and  known  as  a  Jacque,  whence 
the  term  JACKET  has  been  derived. 

Signs  that  betray  a  political  bias,  such  as  The 
Royal  Oak,  The  Boscobel,  The  Jacobite,  The 
Hanover,  &c.,  are  altogether  too  numerous  to 
mention.  In  the  early  part  of  the  present  century, 
too,  the  names  of  political  leaders  were  largely  drawn 
upon  as  an  attraction  for  tavern  signs,  as  were  those 
also  of  distinguished  naval  and  military  com- 
manders, and  of  the  battles  won  by  them.  The 
Canning,  The  Palmerston,  The  Nelson,  The 
Wellington,  The  Marquis  of  Granby,  The 
Portobello  Arms,  The  Trafalgar,  The  Water- 
loo, and  a  host  of  others  of  the  like  character,  are 
everywhere  to  be  encountered ;  while  the  old  sign 
of  The  Ship  carries  us  back  to  the  days  of  Elizabeth, 
when  the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe  by  Sir 


86  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

Francis    Drake   was    regarded    as   an    exploit   that 
could  scarcely  be  too  highly  honoured. 

Before  concluding,  let  us  add  a  few  words  of  com- 
ment upon  the  signal  loyalty  of  the  English  people 
in  the  times  we  live  in  ;  for  whereas  our  forefathers 
were  for  the  most  part  content  to  express  their 
loyalty  to  the  throne  by  the  choice  of  such  vague 
tavern  signs  as  The  King's  Head,  or  The  Queen's 
Head,  we  of  the  nineteenth  century  are  not  nearly 
so  half-hearted.  Not  only  are  The  Victoria,  The 
Prince  Albert,  The  Prince  of  Wales,  and  The 
Prince  of  Wales'  Feathers  honoured  on  every 
hand  in  the  course  of  a  day's  perambulation,  but 
The  Duke  of  Edinburgh,  The  Duke  of  Cam- 
bridge, The  Duke  of  Connaught,  and  other 
members  of  the  Royal  Family,  are  similarly  memo- 
rialized. Perhaps  in  the  future,  when  the  Prince 
of  Wales  shall  occupy  the  British  Throne,  his 
descendants  may  also  in  their  turn  form  the  subject 
of  many  a  tavern  sign  in  our  midst. 


ROYAL  SURNAMES. 

ALFRED  THE  GREAT  (reigned  871  to  901) 
fully  merited  his  surname  because  he  ex- 
pelled the  Danes,  established  a  navy,  founded 
schools,  and  effected  the  restoration  of  law  and 
order  during  one  of  the  most  critical  periods  of 
early  British  history.  Taking  the  remainder  of 
the  Saxon  monarchs  in  chronological  order,  we 
have :  —  Edward  the  Martyr  (975  to  978), 
treacherously  murdered  at  Corfe  Castle  ;  Ethelred 
the  Unready  (978  to  1016),  who,  lacking  rede,  or 
council,  fled  to  Normandy  to  escape  the  conse- 
quences of  a  threatened  invasion  by  the  Danes ; 
Edmund  Ironsides  (reigned  1016),  whose  habitual 
precaution  of  wearing  a  complete  suit  of  mail 
availed  him  nothing  against  the  fatality  of  assassi- 
nation ;  Edgar  Atheling  (born  1017,  died  1120), 
otherwise  "  Edgar  of  Royal  Descent";  Harold 
Harefoot  (1035  to  I039)>  swift  of  foot  as  a  hare  ; 
and  Edward  the  Confessor  (1042  to  1066),  so 
called  on  account  of  his  holy  life.  The  distinction 
between  a  CONFESSOR  and  a  MARTYR  in  the  early 
days  of  Christianity  was  simply  this  :  both  made  an 
open  confession  of  their  faith,  and  expressed  their 
readiness  to  die  for  it ;  the  former,  however,  was 


88  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

never   called   upon    to    do    so,   whereas   the   latter 
actually  suffered  martyrdom. 

William  I.  (reigned  1066  to  1087),  was  styled 
The  Conqueror  because  he  defeated  the  Saxons  at 
the  Battle  of  Hastings,  and  founded  the  Norman 
Dynasty  in  England.  William  II.  (1087  to  noo), 
received  the  name  of  Rufus  from  his  florid  com- 
plexion;  rufus  being  Latin  for  ruddy.  Henry  I. 
(noo  to  1135),  was  surnamed  Beauderc,  or  good 
clerk,  in  recognition  of  his  scholarly  attainments. 
Richard  I.  (1189  to  1199),  styled  Coeur  de  Leon, 
otherwise  "  The  Lion  Hearted,"  is  traditionally  said 
to  have  torn  the  living  heart  out  of  the  mouth  of  a 
lion  to  whose  fury  he  was  exposed  by  the  Duke  of 
Austria  for  having  killed  his  son  in  battle.  This 
extraordinary  exploit  surpasses  the  bounds  of  reason; 
still  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  performed  prodigies  of 
valour  during  the  Wars  of  the  Crusades.  Another 
British  monarch  who  rejoiced  in  a  surname  of  the 
leonine  order  was  William  the  Lion,  King  of  the 
Scots  (1165  to  1214),  so  called  because  he  chose  a 
red  lion  rampant  for  his  crest.  It  is  from  this  king 
that  the  lions  distinguished  in  the  Royal  Arms  of 
Scotland  trace  their  origin. 

King  John  (reigned  1199  to  1216)  received  the 
surname  of  Lackland  on  account  of  his  improvi- 
dence, which  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  his  father 
(Henry  II.)  left  him  entirely  without  provision. 
Edward  I.  (1272  to  1307)  was  styled  Longshanks 
from  his  spindle  legs.  The  eldest  son  of  Edward 
III.,  known  as  The  Black  Prince  (born  1330,  died 


Royal  Surnames.  89 

1376),  was  not  exclusively  addicted  to  the  wearing 
of  black  armour,  as  he  is  usually  represented  in 
waxwork  shows  and  picture  toy-books ;  consequently 
he  did  not  derive  his  surname  from  such  an  associa- 
tion ;  but,  as  the  historian  Froissart  informs  us,  "  he 
received  his  name  by  terror  of  his  arms."  Seeing 
that  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  won  his  knightly  spurs 
at  Crecy,  and  ten  years  later  took  the  French  king 
prisoner  at  Poictiers  and  brought  him  in  triumph  to 
London,  the  military  renown  of  this  young  warrior 
must  have  been  sufficient  to  command  respect  from 
his  enemies.  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster 
(born  1340,  died  1399),  took  his  title  from  the  town 
of  Ghent,  in  Flanders,  where  he  was  born.  In  like 
manner  his  son,  Henry  IV.  (1399  to  1413),  was  styled 
Bolingbroke,  after  his  native  place. 

Henry  VIII.  (reigned  1509  to  1547)  was  surnamed 
Bluff  King  Hal  on  account  of  his  bluff  manners ; 
he  also  received  the  title  of  Defender  of  the  Faith 
from  Pope  Leo  X.,  in  recognition  of  the  tract  he 
published  against  the  heresy  of  Martin  Luther.  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots  (born  1542,  died  1587),  was  known 
as  The  White  Queen  because  she  adopted  white 
mourning  for  her  husband,  Lord  Darnley.  Our  own 
Queen  Mary  (1547  to  1558)  has  been  handed  down 
to  posterity  under  the  opprobrious  title  of  Bloody 
Mary,  in  consequence  of  the  wholesale  burnings  of 
the  Protestants  under  her  reign.  The  religious  perse- 
cutions of  her  time  admit  of  no  denial,  yet  they  were 
fully  equalled  by  those  brought  to  light  during  the 
reign  of  her  successor,  Elizabeth,  while  they  fell 


go  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

infinitely  short  of  those  characterized  by  the  reign 
of  Henry  VIII.  In  one  sense  Elizabeth  (1558  to 
1603)  was  appropriately  styled  Good  ftueen  Bess, 
inasmuch  as  she  exercised  due  regard  to  the  interests 
of  the  realm  and  the  welfare  of  her  people.  Her 
enemies  she  speedily  removed,  but  she  was  just  as 
ready  to  bestow  honours  and  rewards  upon  her 
nation's  worthies.  Oliver  Cromwell  was  called  The 
Lord  Protector  (born  1599,  died  1658)  because  he 
protected  the  interests  of  the  Commonwealth.  The 
reason  why  Charles  II.  (1660  to  1685)  was  dubbed 
The  Merry  Monarch  must  be  sought  in  the  licen- 
tiousness of  the  times  in  which  he  lived.  Much 
nearer  to  our  own  day,  William  IV.  (1830  to  1837) 
was  distinguished  by  the  title  of  The  Sailor  King, 
from  the  circumstance  of  his  having  entered  the  navy 
as  a  midshipman  and  worked  his  way  upwards  until 
he  attained  the  rank  of  Lord  High  Admiral. 

The  family  name  of  Plantagenet,  derived  from 
the  Latin  planta,  a  plant,  and  genista,  broom,  was 
originally  assumed  by  Fulke  Martel,  Earl  of  Anjou, 
the  great  grandfather  of  Henry  II.,  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  incident,  while  on  his  pilgrimage  to  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  of  having  offered  himself  to  be 
scourged  with  the  stems  of  the  broom  plant  by  his 
two  attendants  as  an  atonement  for  the  murder  of 
the  Earl  of  Brittany.  The  Tudor  Dynasty  was 
founded  by  Owen  Tudor,  a  Welsh  soldier  stationed 
at  Windsor,  who  contracted  a  secret  marriage  with 
Catherine,  the  widowed  queen  of  Henry  V.  The 
first  of  the  long  line  of  the  Stuart  sovereigns 


Royal  Surnames.  91 

(Scottish  and  English)  was  Walter,  the  Lord  High 
Steward  of  Scotland,  whose  wife  was  the  daughter 
of  King  Robert  the  Bruce.  As  this  Walter  was  the 
sixth  member  of  his  family  that  had  held  the  post  of 
Lord  High  Steward,  he  was  popularly  said  to  belong 
to  the  Stewards,  until  in  course  of  time  this  word 
became  corrupted  into  Stuarts,  and  was  adopted  as  a 
family  name. 

Charles  I.,  Emperor  of  Germany  (born  742,  died 
814),  was  surnamed  Charlemagne,  otherwise 
Charles  the  Great.  The  She-Wolf  of  France 
was  Isabella  (born  1290,  died  1357),  daughter  of 
Philip  IV.  of  France,  and  queen  of  Edward  II.  of 
England,  whom  she,  in  concert  with  the  Earl  of 
Mortimer,  her  paramour,  murdered  by  thrusting  a 
red-hot  iron  into  his  bowels.  Pedro  the  Cruel, 
King  of  Castille  and  Leon  in  1350,  merited  his  sur- 
name owing  to  his  cruel  treatment  of  his  two 
brothers,  whom  he  murdered,  and  his  queen,  whom 
he  poisoned.  Ivan  II.,  Czar  of  Russia  (reigned 
1533  to  1584),  was  styled  The  Terrible  on  account 
of  the  cruelties  he  inflicted  upon  all  \vho  offended  his 
autocracy.  Frederick  I.,  of  Germany  (reigned  1152 
to  1190),  was  surnamed  Barbarossa  from  his  red 
beard,  barba  being  Latin  for  beard;  while  for  his 
bombardment  of  Messina  in  1848  Ferdinand,  King 
of  Naples,  was  nicknamed  Bomba,  Philippe,  Due 
d'Orleans,  the  father  of  Louis  Philippe,  King  of 
France,  assumed  the  name  of  Egalit6  when  he 
joined  the  Republican  party  in  1789.  Of  a  truth, 
if  "  Equality  "  was  what  this  not  unworthy 


92  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Prince  aspired  to,  he  enjoyed  it  to  the  full,  for 
he  lost  his  head  under  the  guillotine  in  common 
with  more  than  twenty  thousand  of  his  fellow- 
citizens. 


NATIONAL  NICKNAMES. 

ROTHER  JONATHAN,  the  popular  nick- 
name  of  the  United  States,  arose  out  of  the 
person  of  Jonathan  Trumbull,  the  Governor 
of  Connecticut,  whom  General  Washington  never 
failed  to  consult  in  cases  of  emergency.  "  We  must 
refer  the  matter  to  Brother  Jonathan !  "  he  was 
wont  to  exclaim  when  no  other  officer  could  offer 
any  practical  suggestion  to  aid  him  out  of  a  diffi- 
culty;  and  true  enough,  "Brother  Jonathan"  proved 
himself  in  every  instance  equal  to  the  confidence 
reposed  in  him.  Another  stock  nickname  for  the 
United  States  is  Uncle  Sam.  This  originated  from 
a  vulgar  misconception  of  the  initial  letters  "  U.  S." 
(United  States)  for  those  of  the  well-known  sobri- 
quet of  an  official  whose  business  it  was  to  mark 
them  on  all  Government  property.  The  numerous 
acquaintances  of  this  person  understood  that  the 
goods  so  marked  had  passed  through  the  hands  of 
"  Uncle  Sam,"  and  the  joke  becoming  public  it  spread 
far  and  wide,  until  in  the  end  it  was  considered  far 
too  good  to  be  allowed  to  drop.  The  term  Yankee 
finds  its  origin  in  the  native  attempt  to  pronounce 
the  word  "  English,"  but  approaching  no  nearer 
to  the  sound  than  Yengees,  the  name  bestowed  upon 


94  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

the  English  colonists  by  the  Indians  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  afterwards  given  to  the  New  Englanders 
by  the  British  soldiers  during  the  American  War. 

The  nickname  of  the  typical  Englishman,  John 
Bull,  was  derived  from  Dr.  Arbuthnot's  satire  of 
this  title  published  in  1721.  There  was  also  a  real 
person  of  the  name  of  John  Bull,  well  known  as  the 
composer  of  "  God  Save  the  King  "  ;  but  he  died 
just  a  hundred  years  before  Dr.  Arbuthnot's  per- 
formance was  heard  of.  Of  a  still  later  date  is  the 
national  English  nickname,  Mrs.  Grundy,  which 
arose  out  of  the  passage,  "  What  will  Mrs.  Grundy 
say?"  from  Thomas  Morton's  drama,  "  Speed  the 
Plough,"  produced  in  170)8.  The  proverbial  prudish- 
ness  of  the  English  people  in  matters  affecting  art, 
could  scarcely  be  better  expressed  than  under  the 
style  of  The  British  Matron,  The  British  soldier 
is  popularly  referred  to  under  the  general  designa- 
tion of  Tommy  Atkins,  because  "  Thomas  Atkins" 
was  a  fictitious  name  that  figured  in  the  soldiers* 
monthly  statement  of  accounts. 

The  Irish  as  a  nation  are  invariably  alluded  to  as 
Pat  or  Paddy,  being  short  for  Patrick,  their  most 
common  Christian  name,  selected  in  honour  of  St. 
Padhrig,  or  Patrick  (born  373,  died  466) ;  the  Scots 
as  Sandie  or  Sawney,  a  contraction  of  Alexander, 
their  most  popular  Christian  name  ;  and  the  Welsh 
as  Taffy,  a  corruption  of  Davy,  and  short  for  David, 
the  name  of  their  Archbishop  and  Saint  (born  490, 
died  554). 

The   national  nickname  of  the  Chinese  is  John 


National  Nicknames.  95 

Chinaman,  in  imitation  of  our  own  characteristic 
"John  Bull/7  Even  now  a  Chinaman  addresses 
every  Englishman  he  meets  as  "  John,"  which  is  his 
idea  of  our  most  popular  name.  Hence,  British 
sailors  in  the  Chinese  waters  from  the  first  returned 
the  compliment,  so  to  speak,  by  alluding  to  each 
Celestial  with  whom  they  came  in  contact  as  "John 
Chinaman." 

The  Chinese  are  also  called  Pigtails,  on  account 
of  their  Tartar  tonsure  and  braided  queue.  By  the 
Indians  of  North  America  Europeans  are  styled 
Pale  Faces;  while  the  Europeans  designate  the 
Indians  Red  Skins,  both  terms  having  reference  to 
the  complexion.  The  word  Nigger  is  a  corruption 
of  Negro,  derived  from  niger,  the  Latin  for  black. 
The  reason  why  a  negro  generally  bears  the  name  of 
Sambo  is  because  Zambo  is  the  native  term  used  to 
designate  the  offspring  of  a  black  person  and  a 
mulatto.  The  word  Mulatto  is  Spanish,  derived 
from  the  Latin  mulus,  a  mule,  and  signifying  a  mixed 
breed.  A  Mulatto  may  be  either  the  offspring  of  a 
negress  by  a  white  man,  or  of  a  white  woman  by  a 
negro. 


BIRDS. 

THE  following  owe  their  names  to  their  charac- 
teristic note  : — the  Cuck-00,  the  Pee-wit, 
the  Cur-lew,  the  Chick-a-dee,  and  the 
Whip-poor-will.  The  Trumpeter  of  South 
America  is  so  called  on  account  of  its  loud,  clearr 
and  trumpet-like  cry.  The  word  Nightingale  is  a 
modern  form  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  nifitegale,  indica- 
tive of  a  bird  that  sings  by  night,  agreeably  to  its 
component  parts,  niht,  night,  and  gale,  a  songster. 
The  Night- Jar  bears  its  name  because  the  sound  it 
emits  resembles  the  whirring  of  a  spinning-wheel. 
The  Mocking-bird  possesses  the  power  of  imitating 
the  notes  of  other  birds ;  while  the  Humming-bird 
is  remarkable  for  the  humming  sound  that  proceeds 
from  its  wings  as  it  speeds  through  the  air. 

Several  birds  are  named  after  the  colour  or  some 
other  characteristic  of  their  plumage.  Among  these 
we  have  the  Greenfinch  and  the  Goldfinch,  the 
term  Finch  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  fine,  denoting 
a  small  singing  bird ;  the  Greenlet  expressing 
a  tiny  green  bird  peculiar  to  South  America ; 
the  Jay,  a  corruption  of  gai,  its  French  name, 
alluding  to  its  gay  or  showy  appearance ;  the 
Blue-bird,  common  in  the  United  States,  the 


Birds.  97 

upper  half  of  which  is  blue;  the  Blackbird,  so 
called  from  its  sable  aspect ;  the  Starling,  owing  to 
the  specks  at  the  extremities  of  its  feathers  ;  the 
Flamingo,  of  South  America  and  Africa,  from  its 
flaming  colour ;  the  Oriole,  an  Australian  bird  of 
golden-yellow  plumage,  agreeably  to  the  Latin 
aureolus,  golden ;  and  the  Lyre-bird,  also  a  native 
of  Australia,  so  denominated  on  account  of  the  six- 
teen feathers  of  the  tail  which  when  folded  form  in 
appearance  a  perfect  lyre.  The  British  song-bird 
known  as  the  Red-poll  receives  its  name  from  the 
tuft  of  red  feathers  upon  its  head;  whereas  the  South 
African  Secretary-bird  is  so  called  because  a  tuft 
of  feathers  on  each  side  of  its  head  are  supposed  to 
resemble  quill  pens  stuck  behind  the  ear.  The  South 
American  Birds  of  Paradise  are  indeed  a  beautiful 
species,  all  the  colours  of  the  rainbow  being  repre- 
sented in  their  plumage ;  and  the  same  may  be  said 
of  the  Love-birds,  so  designated  from  the  extra- 
ordinary affection  which  they  exhibit  towards  one 
another.  The  Kingfisher  is  regarded  as  the  king 
of  fisher-birds,  or  those  that  dive  for  fish  as  their 
prey,  by  reason  of  his  gay  plumage. 

The  Lapwing  derives  its  name  from  the  loud 
flapping  noise  made  by  its  wings  during  flight ;  the 
Wagtail,  from  the  incessant  wagging  of  its  tail ;  and 
the  Scissors-tail — found  only  in  South  America — 
from  the  peculiar  nature  of  its  tail,  which,  like  a  pair 
of  scissors,  opens  and  shuts  in  the  course  of  its  rapid 
passage  through  the  air  and  so  entraps  the  flies  upon 
which  it  preys.  The  Hangbird  is  so  called  from  its 


98  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

habit  of  suspending  its  nest  from  the  limb  of  a  tree ; 
the  Weaver-bird,  from  the  wonderful  intertwining 
of  twigs  and  grass  displayed  in  the  construction  of 
its  nest ;  and  the  Tailor-bird,  from  the  skill  it  dis- 
plays in  constructing  its  nest  by  stitching  together 
the  leaves  of  plants. 

Among  corruptions  of  the  names  of  birds  it  will  be 
sufficient  to  mention  the  Widow-bird,  properly  the 
Why  daw -bird,  after  the  territory  in  Africa  of  which 
it  is  a  native  ;  the  Martin,  from  the  Latin  mums- 
tenco,  or  wall-swallow,  shortened  into  murten,  and 
mispronounced  marten;  and  the  Muscovy  Duck, 
which,  so  far  from  claiming  a  Muscovite  origin,  is 
merely  a  musk  duck,  a  species  somewhat  larger  than 
our  common  duck. 

The  Swift  derives  its  name  from  its  rapid  flight ; 
the  Passenger-pigeon,  from  its  migratory  habits  ; 
the  Skylark,  from  its  frolic  of  rising  and  sinking  as 
it  flies  ;  and  the  Chaffinch,  from  its  preference  for 
chaff  above  every  other  kind  of  food.  The  Diver  is 
remarkable  for  its  habit  of  diving ;  the  Sandpiper 
inhabits  the  sea-beach  ;  and  the  Chimney -swallow 
builds  his  nest  in  an  ordinary  house  chimney.  The 
Horn-bill,  the  Boat-bill,  the  Spoon-bill,  and  the 
Duck-bill  are  respectively  so  named  on  account  of 
the  resemblance  of  their  bills  to  the  articles,  and  in 
the  last-mentioned  case  to  the  bird,  indicated ;  while 
the  Cross-bill  has  its  mandibles  crossed  in  opposite 
directions.  The  Pouter-pigeon  is  so  called  from 
the  pouting,  or  bulging  out,  of  its  breast ;  the  Ring- 
dove, from  the  white  ring  around  its  neck;  and  the 


Birds.  99 

Wryneck,  from  the  curious  manner  in  which  it 
turns  its  neck  over  its  shoulder  when  surprised. 
The  Woodcock  is  found  in  the  underwood  of  a 
forest,  while  the  Woodpecker  pecks  holes  in  the 
bark  of  trees  in  search  for  insects. 

Chief  among  the  birds  which  derive  their  names 
from  the  countries  to  which  they  originally  belonged 
are  the  Guinea-fowl,  brought  from  Guinea,  West 
Africa;  the  Brahma-fowl,  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Brahmapootra  River  in  India ;  the  Bantam, 
from  Bantam  in  Java  ;  the  Barb,  from  Barbary,  and 
the  Turkey,  which,  although  an  American  bird,  was 
long  believed  to  have  been  imported  from  European 
Turkey.  Another  native  of  North  America  received 
its  name  of  the  Baltimore-bird  from  the  fact  that 
its  colours  corresponded  with  those  which  occurred 
in  the  arms  of  Lord  Baltimore,  the  Governor  of 
Maryland,  in  which  State  it  principally  abounds. 
The  Canary  was  first  brought  from  the  Canary 
Islands  in  1500.  The  Petrel,  a  sea-bird  usually 
associated  with  storms,  expresses  the  Anglicized 
form  of  the  Italian  petrillo,  a  diminitive  of  Peter,  in 
allusion  to  St.  Peter  walking  on  the  sea,  and  the 
frequent  appearance  of  this  bird  standing  as  it  were 
on  the  surface  of  the  water. 


RELIGIOUS    ORDERS. 

STRICTLY  speaking,  the  members  of  the  various 
Religious  Orders,  in  this  country  at  least,  are 
not  Monks,  but  Friars.  Only  those  who  live 
completely  isolated  from  the  rest  of  mankind,  as 
did  St.  Anthony,  are  entitled  to  the  former  desig- 
nation, which,  in  common  with  the  term  Monastery, 
comes  from  the  Greek  monos,  alone.  Consequently, 
a  Religious  House  is  incorrectly  described  as  a 
Monastery  unless  each  individual  within  its  walls 
occupies  a  separate  cell,  both  by  night  and  by  day, 
and  never  suffers  himself  to  have  the  least  commu- 
nion with  his  neighbour.  Failing  compliance  with 
such  a  rule,  the  teim  Convent,  derived  from  the 
Latin  con,  together,  and  venire,  to  come,  is  more 
fittingly  applicable.  This  designation,  however,  is 
now  borne  by  an  institution  reserved  for  a  commu- 
nity of  Nuns,  so  called  from  the  Italian  nonna,  a 
grandmother,  because  they  originally  comprised  only 
very  aged  women ;  albeit  it  was  formerly  the  custom 
to  speak  of  Monasteries  and  Convents  without  dis- 
crimination. An  Abbey  always  indicated  a  Religious 
House  in  connection  with  a  Church,  as,  for  example, 
Westminster  Abbey,  the  abode  of  the  community 
attached  to  the  West  Minster,  piesided  over  by 


Religious  Orders.  101 

an  Abbot,  so  styled  in  accordance  with  the  Syriac 
and  Latin  abba,  a  father,  or,  in  the  case  of  a  female 
community,  by  an  Abbess  ;  whereas  a  Priory 
denoted  a  lesser  or  branch  establishment  placed  at 
some  distance  from  the  Abbey,  and  controlled  by  a 
Prior  (or  Prioress),  signifying  one  who  had  a  prior 
claim  over  the  rest  to  the  office  of  Abbot  (or  Abbess) 
in  the  original  community. 

A  Friar,  on  the  other  hand,  is — conformably  to 
the  Latin  fratre  and  the  French  frere,  a  brother — 
what  the  term  implies,  viz.,  one  of  a  brotherhood. 
In  olden  times  there  existed  four  distinct  and  power- 
ful Orders  of  Friars.  These  were  the  Dominicans, 
founded  by  St.  Dominic  to  preach  away  the  Albi- 
gensian  heresies,  also  known  as  the  Black  Friars, 
on  account  of  their  black  habits,  and  in  France  as 
the  Jacobins,  because  their  first  convent  was 
situated  in  the  Rue  St.  Jacques,  Paris;  the  Fran- 
ciscans,  or  Grey  Friars,  named  after  St.  Francis 
d'Assissi;  the  Carmelites,  or  White  Friars  of 
Mount  Carmel ;  and  the  Augustines,  or  Austin 
Friars,  whose  origin  is  ascribed  to  St.  Augustin 
or  Austin,  the  first  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  who 
died  in  605.  Eventually  a  fifth  Order,  styled  the 
Trinitarians,  or  Friars  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  other- 
wise the  Crutched  Friars,  so  called  from  the  cross 
{Latin  cruciati,  crossed)  embroidered  on  their  habit, 
came  into  existence. 

Referring  to  the  Franciscans,  those  who  con- 
formed to  the  austere  rules  laid  down  by  their 
founder  were  denominated  Observant  Friars,  while 


102  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

those  who,  as  time  wore  on,  began  to  live  in  convents 
and  coveted  lands,  chapels,  and  books,  received  the 
name  of  Conventional  Friars,  Out  of  the  Fran- 
ciscans there  have  sprung  two  lesser  Orders,  so  to 
speak,  chiefly  distinguished  by  a  slight  change  in 
the  details  appertaining  to  the  habit  worn  by  them. 
These  are  the  Capuchins,  so  called  from  the  capuce, 
or  pointed  cowl,  that  they  wear,  and  the  Cordeliers, 
from  the  knotted  cord  which  encircles  their  waist  in 
place  of  a  girdle.  In  effect,  however,  these  two 
offshoots  of  the  Franciscans  are  the  same,  and 
subject  to  the  like  rules,  as  the  parent  institution. 
Having  disposed  of  the  Friars,  let  us  now  turn  to 
the  Monks  properly  so  called.  Originally  the  sole 
existing  order  of  monks  was  that  of  the  Bene- 
dictines as  established  by  St.  Benedict,  who  intro- 
duced the  monastic  system  into  Western  Europe  in 
the  year  529.  No  less  than  twelve  large  Monas- 
teries were  raised  by  him  before  he  died  ;  but  not- 
withstanding the  austere  rules  which  obtained  among 
the  Benedictines,  these  were  yet  considered  too  lax 
by  some  individual  members  of  the  Order,  with  the 
result  that  first  one  and  then  another  "  Reformed 
Order"  sprang  into  existence,  the  latest  being  in 
each  case  distinguished  for  a  still  more  rigorous 
rule  than  that  of  its  immediate  predecessor.  Thus, 
we  now  have  the  Carthusians,  our  English  desig- 
nation for  the  monks  of  La  Chartreuse  near  Gre- 
noble, by  whom  the  celebrated  liqueur  known  as 
Chartreuse  is  prepared  ;  the  Cistercians,  or  monks 
of  Citeau  ;  and  the  Cluniacs,  or  monks  of  Cluny, 


Religious  Orders.  103 

respectively  named  after  the  vicinity  of  their  original 
monastery  in  France ;  while  the  Bernardines  re- 
ceived their  title  from  St.  Bernard,  who  founded  the 
famous  Hospice  of  Mont  St.  Bernand  in  the  year 
962.  From  the  Carthusians,  also,  there  have  sprung 
the  Basilians  founded  by  St.  Basil,  and  from  the 
Cistercians,  the  Trappists,  or  monks  of  La  Trappe, 
originally  established  in  the  French  district  so  deno- 
minated. 

Foremost  among  the  Religious  Orders  not  com- 
prised in  any  of  the  brotherhoods  cited  above  are 
the  Jesuists,  properly  styled  "The  Society  of  Jesus," 
an  organization  founded  upon  a  military  basis  by  St. 
Aloysius  Loyola  in  1534,  which  extends  its  influence 
all  over  the  globe.  Next  in  point  of  importance 
come  the  Servites,  otherwise  "  The  Religious  Ser- 
vants of  the  Holy  Virgin,"  established  by  seven 
Florentine  merchants  in  1283  ;  the  Passionists,  a 
community  of  priests  solemnly  agreed  to  preach 
"  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified,"  founded  by  Paul 
Francis,  better  known  as  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  in 
1737  ;  and  the  Redemptorists,  or  preachers  of  the 
Redemption,  also  styled  the  Liguorians,  after  St. 
Francis  Liguori,  who  originated  this  Order  in  1732. 
Each  of  these,  except,  of  course,  the  lay  members 
of  the  Jesuists,  are  professedly  Monks  ;  and  yet  these 
are  not  really  Monks,  but  Friars,  because  they  live 
in  community,  and  at  times  mingle  freely  with  the 
people.  In  short,  they  are  Missionary  Friars. 


PAPER  AND  PRINTING. 

THE  word  Paper  comes  from  the  Latin  papy- 
rus, and  Greek  papyros,  the  designation  of  an 
Egyptian  plant  from  whose  reeds  the  earliest 
kind  of  writing  material  was  obtained.     Parchment 
is    an    Anglicized   form    of   the   French  parchemin, 
from  the  Greek  pergamenos,  named  after  the  ancient 
city  of  Pergamos,  in  Asia  Minor,  where  the  skins  of 
goats  were  first  prepared  for  writing  upon  at  a  time 
when    Ptolemy  prohibited    the    exportation   of   the 
papyrus  from  Egypt. 

Hand-paper  was  originally  so  called  from  its 
watermark,  which  was  that  of  a  hand  ;  Pot-Paper, 
of  a  pot ;  Post-paper,  of  a  post-horn ;  Crown-paper, 
of  a  crown  ;  and  Foolscap,  of  a  fool's  head  with  the 
cap  and  bells.  Nepaul-paper,  better  known,  per- 
haps, under  the  name  of  India-paper,  is  made  in 
the  district  of  Nepaul,  Northern  India.  Cap-paper 
is  so  designated  because,  prior  to  being  used  by 
grocers  for  wrapping  up  sugar  and  other  commo- 
dities sold  by  weight,  it  is  folded  into  a  cap-like 
form.  Among  papers  of  a  stiffer  kind,  that  are 
chiefly  intended  for  drawing  upon,  4we  have  Ele- 
phant, so  called  from  its  large  size  (28  inches  by 
23),  Cartridge-paper,  originally  manufactured  for 


Paper  and  Printing.  105 

soldiers'  cartridges,  and  Bristol-board,  formerly 
made  only  at  Bristol. 

By  the  term  Folio,  derived  from  the  Latin  folium, 
a  leaf,  is  meant  a  sheet  of  paper  folded  but  once, 
thus  making  two  leaves  or  four  pages  ;  a  Quarto 
(written  4to),  is  a  sheet  folded  into  quarters  or  four 
leaves,  making  eight  pages;  an  Octavo  (8vo),  so 
styled  in  accordance  with  the  Latin  octa,  eight,  one 
folded  into  eight  leaves  or  sixteen  pages  ;  a  Duo- 
decimo (izmo),  the  Latin  for  "two  and  ten,"  one 
making  twelve  leaves  or  twenty-four  pages,  and  so 
forth. 

When  Caxton  set  up  the  first  printing  press  in 
this  country,  in  the  year  1476,  there  were  many 
among  the  vulgar  who  regarded  it  as  an  invention 
of  the  devil ;  and  the  clergy,  no  doubt,  fostered  this 
idea,  foreseeing  that  in  the  event  of  the  Bible  being 
distributed  to  the  masses  by  this  means,  the  way 
would  be  thrown  open  to  the  production  of  spurious 
•editions  of  Sacred  Writ,  and  the  perversion  of  reli- 
gious doctrine,  which  up  to  that  period  had  been  free 
to  all  who  chose  to  attend  daily  instruction  in  the 
monasteries.  Hence,  printing  was  popularly  de- 
scribed as  "  The  Black  Art,"  while  the  boys  who 
took  the  sheets  off  the  press,  from  the  fact  of  gene- 
rally smearing  their  faces  with  ink,  came  to  be 
known  as  Imps  or  Devils.  This  will  explain  why  a 
printer's  errand-boy  still  bears  the  nickname  of  a 
Printer's  Devil. 

Our  Parliamentary  Records,  Debates,  Reports  of 
Meetings,  and  Accounts,  have  received  the  name  of 


io6  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Hansards  because  they  are  printed  by  the  large 
printing  firm  established  by  Luke  Hansard  in  1752  ; 
whereas  a  Blue  Book  is  so  called  on  account  of 
its  stiff  cover  of  blue  paper.  The  French  Govern* 
ment  reports  are  styled  Yellow  Books  for  a  similar 
reason.  The  term  Book  comes  from  the  Danish 
bog,  a  beech-tree,  which  abounds  in  Denmark  and 
whose  wood  is  much  used  for  engraving-blocks. 
The  Leaf  of  a  book  is  in  allusion  to  the  ancient 
custom  of  writing  on  the  bark  of  trees  ;  while 
Volume  is  derived  from  the  Latin  volvo,  I  roll,, 
relative  to  the  Egyption  papyri,  each  one  of  which 
when  rolled  up  formed  a  document  or  volume  com- 
plete in  itself.  A  storehouse  for  books  is  styled  a 
Library,  in  accordance  with  the  Latin  librarium,  a 
book-case,  derived  in  the  first  instance  from  liber,  a 
book. 

A  Pamphlet  owes  its  description  to  Pamphila,  a 
Greek  lady  who  left  behind  her  a  kind  of  common- 
place book  containing  notes,  epitomes,  and  anec- 
dotes. The  French  equivalent  for  a  pamphlet  is  a 
Brochure,  so  called  from  the  verb  brocher,  to  stitch,, 
because  such  a  book  consists  only  of  a  few  pages 
stitched  together.  The  word  Chart  comes  from  the 
Latin  charta,  a  leaf  of  paper ;  a  chart,  therefore,  is 
not  printed  on  canvas  like  a  map,  but  on  a  single 
sheet  of  paper.  Map  traces  its  origin  from  mappa> 
a  Punic  word  which  signified  a  signal-cloth,  also  a 
napkin,  because  in  ancient  times  military  and  other 
landmarks  were  sketched  upon  a  cloth  in  the  absence 
of  parchment  and  paper.  Nowadays,  a  book  of  maps. 


Paper  and  Printing.  107 

designed  for  school  use  is  called  an  Atlas,  after 
the  fabled  King  of  Mauritania  of  this  name, 
who  was  believed  by  the  ancients  to  support  the 
world  on  his  shoulders.  The  figure  of  Atlas  with 
the  globe  first  appeared  as  a  frontispiece  to 
"  Mercator's  Projections,"  published  about  the  year 
1560. 

A  Cartoon,  as  we  understand  the  term,  is  a  repre- 
sentation of  political  significance,  usually  coloured 
and  printed  on  stiff  paper.  To  some  extent  this 
kind  of  publication  owes  its  origin  to  the  celebrated 
'  Cartoons "  of  Raffaelle,  now  in  the  South  Ken- 
sington Museum,  so  called  because  they  were  drawn 
upon  cartone,  the  Italian  for  pasteboard.  A  Broad- 
side consists  of  a  large  sheet  of  paper  having  the 
matter  printed  straight  across,  instead  of  in  columns, 
so  as  to  admit  of  being  read  at  one  broad  view.  The 
reverse  side  of  the  sheet  is  left  blank.  A  Poster 
bears  its  name  from  the  fact  that  formerly  the  side- 
walks of  London  streets,  instead  of  being  paved  as 
as  now,  were  distinguished  from  the  centre,  or  sedan- 
chair  and  riding  way,  by  a  series  of  posts ;  and  upon 
these  theatrical  and  other  announcements  were 
posted.  In  France,  the  theatre  bills  are  exhibited 
upon  the  lamp-posts  on  the  Boulevards  in  a  similar 
manner.  In  conclusion,  the  distinction  between  BOOK- 
SELLERS and  STATIONERS  was  originally  this  :  the 
former  were  itinerant  sellers  of  books,  like  hawkers, 
and  pedlars,  whereas  the  latter  had  stalls  at  the 
corners  of  streets  or  in  open  market;  and  as  the 
stationarii,  or  stationary  booksellers,  were  enabled  to 


io8  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

display  a  more  varied  stock  than  the  itinerants  who 
carried  books  only,  such  articles  as  writing-paper, 
pens,  ink,  and  other  materials  in  course  of  time  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Stationery. 


POLITICAL  NICKNAMES. 

THE  utmost  difficulty  exists  in  reconciling  the 
various  opinions  expressed  by  different  authors 
concerning  the  origin  of  the  terms  Whig  and 
Tory.  And  yet,  if  we  but  consider  the  reasons  why 
these  nicknames  were  first  bestowed  upon  the  two 
great  political  factions  of  this  country  during  the 
reign  of  Charles  II.,  we  may  possibly  attain  a 
much-desired  end.  In  the  year  1648  (temp  Charles 
I.)  there  occurred  a  rising,  or  sally,  of  the  peasantry 
inhabiting  the  south-western  districts  of  Scotland 
against  the  Royalists.  This  was  known  as  the 
Whigamore  Raid,  the  term  whigamore  being 
applied  to  the  teamsters  and  ploughmen  of  those 
parts  because  they  used  the  twin-syllabic  cry  of 
"  Whi-gam  !  "  to  drive  their  horses.  When, 
therefore,  in  the  early  days  of  the  Restoration,  the 
ultra-Protestant  party  opposed  certain  measures  of 
the  Government,  the  Catholics  reproached  them 
with  favouring  the  fanatical  opinions  of  the  Scottish 
Covenanters  and  Whigamores,  and  styled  them 
Whigs.  In  return  the  Protestants  bestowed  upon 
their  opponents  the  nickname  of  Tories,  the 
familiar  designation  of  a  band  of  Irish  out- 
laws who  sought  refuge  in  the  bog  districts  of 


no  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Ireland.  The  word  Tory,  or  rather  Toree,  is  Irish, 
signifying  a  robber.  From  that  time  down  to  the 
present  Toryism  has  been  considered  to  denote  a 
steadfast  adherence  to  constitutional  principles  and 
the  maintenance  of  royalty  and  the  peerage,  as 
opposed  to  the  progressive  and  more  liberal  views 
appertaining  to  Whiggism,  which  advocates  con- 
stitutional reform  and  a  moderate  extension  of 
democratical  powers.  The  word  Liberal  was  first 
employed  by  Lord  Byron  and  his  friends  as  the 
title  of  a  periodical  intended  to  set  forth  the  political 
aims  of  the  advanced  Whig  party  in  1828.  The 
term  Conservative  (derived  from  the  Latin  con, 
together,  and  servare,  to  keep,  to  preserve)  first 
appeared  in  an  article  in  The  Quarterly  Review, 
January,  1830,  and  was  permanently  adopted  by 
the  Tory  party  on  the  passing  of  the  Reform  Bill 
two  years  afterwards.  The  still  more  advanced 
section  of  the  Whig  party  which  came  into  pro- 
minence in  1816  were  styled  Radicals,  or  Radical 
Reformers,  from  their  desire  to  institute  a  thorough 
reformation  in  the  national  policy.  In  our  own  day 
the  Radicals  and  the  Democrats  may  be  set  down 
as  one  and  the  same  party ;  while  the  Socialists 
eminently  carry  out  the  principles  of  the  primitive 
Radicals  of  the  time  of  Charles  I.,  who  styled 
themselves  Levellers  because  they  strove  to  reduce 
society  to  a  common  level.  The  word  Democrat  is 
derived  from  the  Greek  demos,  people,  and  kratein,  to 
govern ;  therefore  denoting  one  who  upholds  the 
principle  of  government  by  the  people  themselves, 


Political  Nicknames.  in 

and  diametrically  opposed  to  an  Aristocracy  (Greek, 
aristos,  best,  and  kratein,  to  govern),  or  government 
by  the  bravest  and  best.  These  terms  were  first 
brought  into  notice  by  the  French  Revolutionists 
of  1790. 

Adverting  to  the  protracted  struggle  between  the 
Hoyalists  under  Charles  I.  and  the  Parliamen- 
tarians under  the  Cromwellian  Parliament,  no  two 
nicknames  could  have  been  more  suggestive  of  their 
origin  than  those  respectively  of  the  Cavaliers  and 
the  Roundheads.  The  latter  arose  out  of  the 
Puritan  fashion  of  cropping  the  hair  close  round 
the  head,  the  former  from  the  cavalier  manner  in 
which  a  number  of  gentlemen  offered  themselves  as 
a  permanent  escort  to  the  King  after  he  had  been 
subjected  to  insult  in  December,  1641.  The  word 
Cavalier  is  synonymous  with  the  French  chevalier, 
a  mounted  knight,  from  cheval,  a  horse,  derived  from 
the  Latin  caballus,  and  the  Greek  kaballes,  an  inferior 
horse. 

The  Protestants  in  Ireland  received  the  name  of 
Orangemen  owing  to  their  adherence  to  William 
III.,  Prince  of  Orange,  while  the  Roman  Catholics 
were  styled  Jacobites  from  their  adhesion  to  James 
II.,  Jacobus  being  the  Latin  form  of  the  King's 
name.  The  Peep  0*  Day  Boys  were  so  called 
because  they  broke  into  the  houses  of  the  people  at 
dawn  of  day  in  quest  of  arms ;  and  the  White  Boys, 
from  the  white  smocks  they  wore  over  their  clothing. 
The  depredations  of  both  these  insurgents  were 
finally  put  an  end  to  by  the  Insurrection  Acts,  passed 


112  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

in  1786-7.  The  secret  brotherhood  of  the  Fenians, 
organized  for  the  overthrow  of  the  English  rule  in 
Ireland,  derived  its  name  from  Fiona  Mac  Cumhal, 
better  known  as  Fingal,  after  whom  FINGAL'S  CAVE 
is  designated.  The  correct  interpretation  of  the 
Gaelic  word  Fenian  is  "a  hunter."  Another  secret 
society  of  quite  recent  origin  is  that  of  the  Irish 
Invincibles,  established,  as  was  publicly  stated  by 
Carey  the  Informer,  for  the  "  making  of  history  by 
killing  tyrants."  Their  title  is  due  to  the  boast 
that  they  defy  extermination.  The  Bibbonmen 
take  their  name  from  the  distinctive  badge  which 
they  wear.  Emergency  Men  are  the  more  active 
members  of  the  Irish  Defence  Association.  The  Sepa- 
rists  and  the  Parnellites  are  one  and  the  same, 
sworn  to  support  the  measures  of  Mr.  Parnell  and 
the  Irish  National  Party  in  promoting  Home  Rule 
for  Ireland.  The  now  familiar  word  Boycotting, 
in  connection  with  Irish  affairs,  arose  out  of  the 
troubles  experienced  by  Captain  Boycott,  of  Lough 
Mask  Farm,  near  Ballinrobe,  County  Mayo,  the 
land  agent  of  Lord  Erne.  His  house  was  besieged, 
his  labourers  were  threatened,  his  crops  remained 
ungathered,  and  tradesmen  refused  to  supply  him 
with  goods.  This  occurred  on  the  nth  and  I2th 
of  November,  1880,  after  which  the  military  was 
despatched  to  his  aid,  and  a  "  Boycott  Fund" 
subscribed  for  his  benefit.  The  expression  "to 
boycott "  a  man  practically  means  to  place  him 
beyond  the  pale  of  civilization. 

The    lowest   order  of  the   French   Revolutionists 


Political  Nicknames.  113 

were  denominated  Sansculottes,  literally,  "  without 
breeches,"  because  they  rejected  those  very  service — 
able  articles  of  attire  as  being  emblematical  of  the 
aristocracy.  The  same  term  was  also  applied  to  the 
Republican  leaders  as  a  reproach  for  the  negligence 
of  their  dress;  but  after  a  time  they  themselves 
adopted  the  title  with  pride.  The  Red  Republicans 
were  so  called  for  a  two-fold  reason.  In  the  first 
place,  they  did  not  hesitate  to  steep  their  hands  in 
human  blood  to  accomplish  their  political  aims ; 
and,  secondly,  they  wore  the  red  cap,  symbolical  of 
Liberty  from  the  days  of  the  Romans  downwards. 
The  two  antagonistic  parties  of  the  Revolution  were 
styled  The  Mountain  and  The  Plain  for  the 
reason  that  the  former  sat  upon  the  most  elevated 
benches  in  the  Hall  of  Assembly,  while  the  latter 
occupied  the  ground  floor.  The  Plain  was  for  the 
most  part  composed  of  the  Girondists,  or  deputies 
from  the  Department  of  the  Gironde. 

The  Hats  and  the  Caps  were  the  two  great 
political  factions  in  Sweden,  so  called  on  account 
of  the  French  chapeaux  worn  by  the  partisans  of  the 
French  interest  on  the  one  side,  and  the  Russian 
caps  worn  by  the  partisans  of  the  Russian  interest 
on  the  other.  Apropos  of  Russia,  the  word  "  Nihilist "" 
was  invented  by  the  great  Russian  novelist  Tourge- 
nief,  whose  death  took  place  December  3,  1883. 
Whether  this  had  anything  in  common  with  the 
English  word  Nihilism,  derived  from  the  Latin 
nihilum,  nothing,  we  cannot  say.  However,  as  the 
fundamental  principle  of  the  Nihilists  is  the 

8 


ii4  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

abolition  of  the  autocracy  and  the  foundation  of 
a  new  order  of  society  from  primitive  beginnings, 
it  is  just  possible  that  the  Latin  word  may  have 
been  drawn  upon  in  the  first  case. 

The  Italian  Carbonari,  being  the  plural  of 
•carbonaro,  a  coal-man,  a  charcoal-burner,  who  first 
came  into  notice  in  1820,  assumed  their  designation 
from  the  fact  of  their  meetings  being  originally  held  in 
the  huts  of  the  charcoal-burners,  and  because  they 
held  charcoal  to  be  the  symbol  of  purification.  The 
Black  Cloaks  were  the  upper  classes  of  Naples, 
distinguished  by  the  colour  [and  quality  of  their 
cloaks  from  the  Lazzari,  or  beggars.  Regarded  as 
a  political  party,  the  Neapolitan  Black  Cloaks  no 
longer  exist ;  but  the  Lazzaroni,  so  called  from  the 
Hospital  of  St.  Lazarus,  which  serves  for  their 
refuge,  are  still  to  be  met  with  in  all  quarters  of  the 
city.  Then,  again,  we  must  not  omit  mention  of 
the  Guelphs  and  the  Ghibellines,  names  of  two 
powerful  families  whose  rival  partisanship  of  the 
Papal  and  the  Imperial  supremacy  in  Italy  threat- 
ened the  peace  of  Europe  during  the  long  period 
embraced  between  the  years  1250  and  1500. 

The  word  "  Federal "  comes  from  the  Latin  fcedus, 
a  league,  a  compact.  As  we  know,  the  people  of 
the  Northern  States  of  America  styled  themselves 
Federals,  or  Federalists,  because  they  were 
united  by  a  treaty  as  one  state,  although  each 
state  continued  to  enjoy  self-government.  The 
Southerners,  on  the  other  hand,  called  themselves 
Confederates,  or  Confederalists,  on  account  of 


Political  Nicknames.  115 

their  particular  treaty  which  favoured  the  indepen- 
dence of  the  individual  states.  These  mutual 
•differences  occasioned  the  great  civil  conflict  of 
1861-5.  During  that  period  the  members  of  a 
political  faction  on  the  Northern  side  received  the 
name  of  Copperheads,  because  they  were  regarded 
as  secret  foes  to  the  common  cause.  The  allusion 
Avas  to  the  poisonous  copperhead  serpent,  which 
gives  no  warning  of  its  approach.  The  Know- 
IfothingS  were  a  secret  political  party  in  the 
United  States  whose  chief  aim  was  the  expulsion 
of  foreigners  by  the  repeal  of  the  Naturalization 
Laws  and  the  promotion  of  native  Americans  to 
public  appointments.  Their  title  was  certainly 
merited,  inasmuch  as  they  disdained  all  knowledge 
concerning  the  rights  of  aliens  and  all  argument 
with  those  who  opposed  their  principles.  The 
Tammany  Ring  is  the  name  used  to  designate  a 
powerful  organization  among  the  principal  officials 
of  the  United  States,  by  means  of  which  they  for  a 
long  time  succeeded  in  enriching  themselves  and 
plundering  the  nation.  These  schemes  were  even- 
tually brought  to  light  in  1871.  The  name  of  the 
"  Ring  "  arose  from  Tammany  Hall,  the  headquarters 
of  the  fraudulent  officials. 

The  Chartists  constituted  an  enormous  body  of 
the  inferior  orders  in  this  country  who,  soon  after 
the  passing  of  the  Reform  Bill  in  1832,  loudly 
clamoured  for  "  The  People's  Charter/'  of  which  the 
six  principal  points  were  these  : — Universal  Suffrage, 
Vote  by  Ballot,  Annual  Parliaments,  Payment  of 


Ii6  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

the  Members,  Abolition  of  the  Property  Qualification,, 
and  the  Equalization  of  Electorial  Rights.  William 
Lovett,  the  author  of  this  document,  died  in  August, 
1877.  The  English  war  party,  who  sided  with  the 
Turks  in  the  Russo-Turkish  struggle  of  1878  received 
the  nickname  of  Jingoes,  or  The  Jingo  Party, 
from  the  chorus  of  Macdermott's  famous  music-hall 
song,  commencing — 

"We  don't  want  to  fight,  but,  by  Jingo •,  if  we  do  !" 

"  Jingo,"  let  us  add,  is  a  corruption  of  Jainko,  the 
Basque  term  for  God.  Hence  the  expression,  "  By 
Jingo !  "  is  properly  a  direct  appeal  to  the  Deity: 
Its  introduction  into  this  country  is  of  much  older 
date  than  most  persons  may  imagine.  The  Plan- 
tagenet  kings  held  possession  of  the  Basque 
provinces,  and,  when  Edward  I.  imported  a  number 
of  the  Basque  mountaineers  to  assist  him  in  the 
subjugation  of  Wales,  their  continual  use  of  the 
word  Jainko  soon  found  imitators  among  our  native 
soldiery.  A  Protectionist  is  one  who  advocates, 
the  protection  of  home-produce  and  manufactures 
against  foreign  competition  by  the  imposition  of 
import  duties. 


FLOWERS. 

THE  Wall-flower  is  always  to  be  met  with 
in  old  walls  and  ruined  buildings.  The 
Scarlet-runner  is  a  creeping  plant  with  a 
scarlet  inflorescence.  Another  creeping  plant  is 
the  Woodbine,  a  corruption  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
wudebcnd,  "  bending  around  wood,'*  also  known  as 
the  Honeysuckle,  owing  to  the  fragrance  of  its 
flowers,  which  young  people  love  to  suck.  The 
Corn-flower  and  the  Blue-bottle  both  grow  among 
corn ;  the  latter  owes  its  name  to  its  colour  and 
bottle-shape.  Fox-glove  is  a  corruption  of  "  Folks'- 
glove,"  in  allusion  first  to  the  fairies,  and  secondly, 
to  its  fancied  resemblance  to  the  fingers  of  a  glove. 
The  Hare-bell,  also  known  as  the  Blue  Bell  of 
Scotland,  is  properly  the  "  Ayr-bell,"  so  called  from 
the  district  where  it  was  first  noticed,  and  its  bell- 
shaped  flower.  The  Globe  flower  has  a  globular 
infloresence.  The  Coxcomb  is  characterized  by  red 
flowers  after  the  style  of  a  cock's  comb.  The  Tulip 
bears  the  Persian  name  for  "  turban "  from  its 
similarity  to  the  head-dress  of  the  Orientals. 
Jasmine  is  almost  identical  with  Jasaman,  the 
Persian  term  for  this  flower. 


n8  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 


'6' 


In  olden  times  Bachelor's  Buttons  were  greatly 
prized  by  love-sick  swains  who  practised  a  kind  of 
divination  with  them  in  order  to  discover  whether 
they  were  destined  to  marry  their  sweethearts. 
Speedwell  is  an  appropriate  name  for  a  plant 
whose  flowers  fall  off  and  fly  away  when  it  is 
gathered. 

The  name  of  Forget-me-not  originated  in  the 
following  legend : — A  German  knight  and  his  lady 
were  walking  on  the  bank  of  the  Danube,  when 
the  fair  one  saw  a  beautiful  tuft  of  Myosotis  palustris 
growing  in  the  water,  and  expressed  a  wish  to  have 
it.  With  chivalrous  alacrity  the  knight  at  once 
plunged  into  the  river  and  gathered  his  prize ;  but 
before  he  could  regain  the  steep  and  slippery  bank, 
encumbered  as  he  was  by  his  heavy  armour,  he 
was  drawn  by  the  treacherous  eddy  into  a  deep  pooL 
Finding  he  could  not  save  himself,  he  threw  the 
flowers  ashore  to  his  mistress  as  he  sank,  and 
uttered  with  his  last  breath  the  words  "  Vergess 
mein  nicht! "  ("  Forget-me-not !  ")  Hence  this  flower 
has  come  to  be  universally  regarded  as  the  emblem 
of  fidelity. 

Mignonette,  the  diminutive  ofMigncm,  the  French 
for  "  darling,"  is  so  called  on  account  of  its  delicate 
fragrance.  The  Carnation  owes  its  name  to  the 
Latin  caro,  flesh,  in  relation  to  its  colour.  Gera- 
nium comes  from  the  Greek  and  Latin  geranos,  a 
crane ;  this  genus  of  plants  having  a  beak-like  torus, 
or  receptacle.  It  is  also  known  as  Crane's-bill  for 
the  same  reason.  Pansy  is  an  Anglicized  form  of 


Flowers.  119- 

the  French  pensee,  "  thoughts,"  this  being  the  senti- 
ment expressed  by  the  flower. 

The  Camellia  was  named  after  G.  J.  Camellir 
the  German  botanist  and  missionary  (died  1690),  by 
whom  it  was  introduced  into  Europe  from  the  East ; 
the  Dahlia,  after  Andrew  Dahl,  the  Swedish  botanist, 
who  discovered  it  in  Mexico  in  1784;  and  the  Fuchsia, 
after  Leonard  Fuchs,  who  brought  it  from  Mexica 
about  the  year  1542.  The  Victoria  Regia  was  so 
called  because  it  was  introduced  into  this  country 
from  British  Guiana  soon  after  the  accession  of 
Queen  Victoria.  The  Adonis  is  said  to  have 
sprung  out  of  the  blood  of  Adonis,  the  beautiful 
youth  who  was  gored  to  death  by  a  boar ;  and  the 
Hyacinth  is  supposed  to  have  originated  in  a 
similar  manner  after  Hyacinth  had  fallen  a  victim 
to  the  jealousy  of  Zephyr.  The  Aspasia  bears  the 
name  of  Aspasia  of  Miletus,  the  mistress  of  Pericles, 
The  term  Orchid  comes  from  the  Greek  orchis,  a 
testicle,  all  plants  of  this  family  being  distinguished 
by  double  testicles.  The  Sweetbriar  is  literally  a 
"  fragrant  thorn "  ;  the  Lilac  betrays  its  Eastern 
origin  in  the  Turkish  leilak,  and  Persian  lilaj ;  while 
the  term  Lavender  is  derived  from  the  Latin  lavere, 
to  wash,  because  the  essential  oil  obtained  from  this 
shrub  enters  into  the  composition  of  a  favourite 
scent. 

The  Dog-rose  was  so  called  by  the  Greeks  from 
the  belief  that  the  root  of  this  particular  rose-tree 
was  efficacious  in  curing  the  bite  of  a  mad  dog.. 
The  Damask-rose  was  brought  to  England  from 


120  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Damascus  by  Dr.  Linacre  in  1540.  The  Cabbage- 
rose  is  thick  and  compact  like  a  cabbage.  The 
'Christmas-rose  makes  its  appearance  about  Christ- 
mas-time. The  word  Primrose,  agreeably  to  the 
Latin  prima  rosa,  signifies  the  first  rose,  or  flower,  of 
spring. 

The  Mayflower,  otherwise  the  Hawthorn,  the 
Anglo-Saxon  for  "  hedge-thorn,"  appears  in  flower 
in  the  month  of  May,  while  Gilly-flower  is  merely 
a  corruption  of  "July  flower."  The  Tiger-flower 
is  streaked  like  a  tiger.  Daffodil  is  a  corruption  of 
"  d'Asphodele,"  the  French  name  of  this  flower. 
Hollyhock  is  not  "  Holy  Oak,"  but  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  holi-hoc,  or  marsh  mallow.  The  Noontide, 
or  Noon-flower,  closes  its  petals  at  noon ;  the 
'Convolvulus,  so  called  from  the  Latin  con,  together, 
and  voivere,  to  roll,  does  the  like  at  sunset,  in  common 
with  the  ordinary  field  Daisy,  which  owes  its  name, 
.a  corruption  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  dotges-cayc,  literally 
"the  day's  eye,"  to  this  circumstance.  The  Butter- 
cup was  originally  so  designated  in  accordance  with 
an  old-established  idea  that  the  yellow  hue  of  butter 
was  attributable  to  the  fact  of  these  flowers  being 
eaten  by  cattle.  However,  as  the  buttercups  are 
invariably  avoided  by  the  cattle,  the  proverbial 
wisdom  of  our  forefathers  must  for  once  in  a  way 
be  discredited.  Cowslip  is  a  corruption  of  "  cows' 
leek." 

The  very  common  supposition  that  the  Sunflower 
inclines  towards  the  sun  is  entirely  erroneous,  as  has 
been  proved  by  observation.  This  flower  merely 


Flowers.  121 

takes  its  name  from  its  form  and  colour.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  its  etymology  be  correct,  the  Helio- 
trope does  actually  turn  towards  the  sun,  the  word 
helios  being  Greek  for  sun,  and  tropos,  to  turn.  The 
Goldylocks  is  so  called  on  account  of  its  tufts  of 
yellow  flowers ;  whereas  the  Marigold,  which  bears 
yellow  flowers,  was  named  in  honour  of  Queen 
Mary.  Both  these,  with  the  Sunflower,  belong  to 
the  Chrysanthemum  (Greek  chrusos,  gold,  and 
anthenws,  flower)  family.  The  word  Rhododen- 
dron, we  may  add,  comes  from  the  Greek  rhodon, 
:rose,  and  dendron,  tree. 

The  Passion-flower  symbolizes  in  its  tints 
-and  several  parts  the  various  attributes  of  Christ's 
Passion,  as  follows  :— The  white  tint,  purity ;  the 
blue  tint,  heaven ;  the  leaf,  the  spear ;  fne  five 
anthers,  the  five  wounds  ;  the  tendrils,  the  whips 
and  cords ;  the  column  of  the  ovary,  the  pillar  of  the 
cross ;  the  stamens,  the  hammers  ;  the  three  styles, 
the  nails ;  the  fleshy  thorns  within  the  flowers,  the 
crown  of  thorns ;  the  calyx,  the  nimbus,  or  glory. 
In  addition  to  the  foregoing  the  passion-flower 
remains  open  for  three  days,  and  this  is  supposed 
to  correspond  with  the  three  years'  ministry  of  the 
.Redeemer. 

Lastly,  the  flower  known  as  the  Stock  received 
its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  was  principally  sold 
in  the  old  STOCKS  MARKET  displaced  by  the  building 
of  the  present  Mansion  House  in  the  year  1737 ;  the 
market  itself  having  derived  its  title  from  a  pair  of 
•stocks  that  stood  there. 


THE    BIBLE. 

IN  the  estimation  of  many  millions  of  human 
beings  the  Bible  is  very  properly  regarded  as 
the  "  Book  of  Books."  And  a  Book  of  Books 
it  truly  is ;  not  only  THE  Book  above  all  others,  but 
comprising  a  number  of  distinct  works  from  the 
pens  of  various  Inspired  Writers  according  to  the 
Old  Law  and  the  New.  For  this  reason  precisely 
the  earliest  Saxon  version  of  the  Sacred  Volume  was 
called  the  Bible  in  accordance  with  the  Greek  and 
Latin  word  biblia,  the  plural  of  biblion,  a  book, 
derived  from  biblos,  the  inner  bark  of  the  papyrus,, 
which  was  the  first  kind  of  writing  material  known* 
"  Bible,"  therefore,  is  a  collective  term  for  the  Scrip- 
tures, which  designation  comes  from  the  Latin 
scriptura9  a  writing,  based  upon  the  verb  scribere,. 
to  write.  Here,  again,  note  the  correct  use  of  the 
plural. 

The  original  translation  of  the  Hebrew  Testament 
into  Greek,  about  the  year  260  B.C.,  bore  the  title  of 
the  Septuagint  because  it  employed  the  labours  of 
seventy,  or  rather  of  seventy-two,  translators.  More 
than  six  hundred  years  afterwards,  viz.,  in  the  Year 
of  Our  Lord  405,  when  St.  Jerome  (born  346,  died 
420)  rendered  the  whole  of  the  Scriptures — to  be 


The  Bible.  123-, 

sure  the  New  Testament  had  not  an  existence 
at  the  time  of  the  Greek  translation — into  the  Latin 
tongue,  his  performance  was  styled  the  Vulgatus, 
or  Vulgate,  from  vulgare,  to  make  known  to 
the  vulgus,  the  multitude.  This  Latin  Vulgate 
constitues  the  Bible  of  the  Roman  Catholics 
as  authorized  by  the  Council  of  Trent  in  the 
year  1546.  It  was  first  printed  for  the  use 
of  the  Christian  world  generally  in  1462.  The 
English  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  portion 
of  the  Vulgate  bears  the  title  of  the  Douay  Bible 
because  it  was  first  printed  and  published  at  the 
English  College  at  Douay,  in  France,  in  1609.  The 
New  Testament  portion,  known  as  the  Rheims 
Bible,  was  issued  at  Rheims  twenty-seven  years 
earlier,  viz.,  in  1582. 

The  Authorized  Version  of  the  Bible  appointed 
to  be  read  in  the  Church  of  England  is  called  King 
James's  Bible,  after  James  L,  who  ordered  it  to- 
be  prepared,  and  in  whose  reign  (in  the  year  1611) 
it  was  first  given  to  the  people.  The  Bishops' 
Bible,  published  in  parts  between  1568  and  1572,, 
derived  its  name  from  the  seven  bishops  that 
assisted  Archbishop  Parker  with  his  revision  of 
Cranmer's  Bible,  otherwise  The  Great  Bible,  so 
called  because  Archbishop  Cranmer's  version  of  the 
text,  published  in  1539,  was  of  large  size,  specially 
printed  for  the  purpose  of  being  displayed  and  read 
by  the  people  in  the  churches.  To  the  1540  edition 
of  this  version  Cranmer  prefixed  a  lengthy  Intro- 
duction. One  of  the  earliest  Latin  Bibles,  printed 


^24  Names :   and  their  Meaning. 

by  Gutenberg  between  the  years  1450  and  1455, 
and,  indeed,  one  of  the  earliest  perfect  printed 
books  from  separate  types,  is  known  as  the  Mazarin 
Bible,  from  a  copy  being  discovered  in  Cardinal 
Mazarin's  library.  The  Pearl  Bible  was  so  called 
because  it  was  printed  in  pearl  type  by  Field  in 
1653.  The  Geneva  Bible,  printed  at  Geneva  in 
1560,  also  bears  the  singular  title  of  the  Breeches 
Bible,  owing  to  the  substitution  of  the  word 
"  breeches"  for  "  aprons  "  in  Genesis  iii.  7.  Simi- 
larly, the  Vinegar  Bible  is  indebted  for  its  title 
to  the  misprinting  of  the  word  "  vineyard"  in  the 
running  headline  to  Luke  xx.  at  the  Clarendon  Press 
in  1717 ;  the  Beer  Bible,  to  the  substitution  of  the 
words  "the  beer"  for  "strong  drink"  in  the 
twenty-fourth  chapter  of  Isaiah,  ninth  verse;  the 
Treacle  Bible,  to  the  rendering  of  the  passage, 
"Is  there  no  balm  in  Gilead  ?  "  into  "There  is  no 
more  triacle  at  Gilaad"  (Jeremiah  viii.  22);  the  Whig 
Bible,  to  the  misprinting  of  the  word  "  peace- 
makers," so  that  the  sentence  reads,  "  Blessed  are 
the  placemakers " ;  the  Wicked  Bible,  from  the 
omission  of  a  word  in  Exodus  xx.  14,  which  caused 
the  verse  to  read,  "  Thou  shalt  commit  adultery  "  ; 
and  the  Bug  Bible,  printed  by  John  Daye  in  1551, 
from  the  peculiar  rendering  of  the  fifth  verse  in 
Psalm  xci.,  which  reads,  "  So  thou  shalt  not  need 
to  be  afraid  for  any  bugs  by  night,  nor  for  the  arrow 
that  flieth  by  day."  The  first  edition  of  the  Author- 
ized Version  is  called  the  "  He"  Bible,  because  it 
-contains  a  misprint  in  Ruth  iii.  15,  the  passage  read- 


The  Bible.  125, 

ing,  "And  he  went  into  the  city."  A  subsequent 
issue  published  in  the  same  year,  in  which  the 
mistake  is  rectified,  is  known  as  the  "  She"  Bible., 
The  Virginia  Bible  is  a  rare  version  of  the  Scrip- 
tures translated  into  the  native  language  of  the 
North  American  Indians  of  Virginia.  The  first 
edition  of  this  Bible  was  printed  in  1661-3,  copies 
of  which  are  said  to  be  worth  £200. 

The  first  five  books  of  the  Old  Testament  written 
by  Moses  bear  the  collective  title  of  the  Pentateuch 
on  account  of  the  two  Greek  words  penta,  five,  and 
teuchos,  an  implement,  a  tool,  alluding  to  the  Books 
being  the  direct  instrument  of  communication  be- 
tween God  and  His  people.  The  titles  of  these  five- 
Books  themselves  are  as  follows : — Genesis,  which 
expresses  the  Greek  for  origin  or  production,  describes 
the  history  of  the  world  from  its  beginning ;  Exodus, 
derived  from  ex,  out,  and  odus,  a  way,  narrates  the 
departure  of  the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt ;  Leviticus 
sets  forth  the  regulations  affecting  the  priests  and 
Levites;  Numbers  contains  the  census  of  the 
Israelites;  and  Deuteronomy,  from  the  Greek 
deuteros,  second,  and  nomos,  law,  comprises  the 
second  giving  of  the  Law  by  Moses. 

The  designation  Apocrypha,  signifying  hidden  or 
spurious,  is  applied  to  those  Books  whose  authenticity 
as  Inspired  Writings  is  not  admitted  ;  in  other 
words,  to  those  portions  of  the  Scriptures  which, 
inasmuch  as  they  do  not  establish  any  doctrine,  are 
not  held  to  be  canonical,  yet  are  such  as,  in  the 
words  of  the  Prayer  Book,  "the  Church  doth  read 


126  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

for  example  of  life  and  instruction  of  manners."  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Apocalypse,  signifying  disclo- 
sure, is  synonymous  with  the  "  Book  of  Revelation/' 
and  specifically  applies  to  the  concluding  Book  oJ 
the  Bible. 


WINES. 

WITH  one  or  two  exceptions  only,  the 
different  kinds  of  wines  owe  their  names 
to  the  places  where  they  are  produced. 
Thus,  Burgundy  and  Champagne  respectively 
come  from  the  French  provinces,  Pontac  from  the 
town,  and  Moselle  from  the  vineyards  extensively 
cultivated  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  so  designated.. 
Rhenish  wines  are  popular  all  over  Europe ;  yet 
none  are  probably  more  celebrated  than  the  Jo- 
hannisberg,  produced  at  the  Castle  of  Johannisberg 
(literally,  John's  Rock),  near  Wiesbaden,  and  Hock, 
produced  at  Hockheim.  Among  Italian  wines, 
Tlorenee  comes  from  the  historic  "  City  of 
Flowers,"  while  Falerian,  the  reputation  of  which 
was  established  by  the  Romans,  is  made  from  grapes 
grown  in  the  district  around  the  ancient  city  of 
Falerium.  A  justly  celebrated  Tuscan  wine  is  the 
Montepulcino,  produced  at  the  old  city  so  denomi- 
nated. As  its  name  implies,  Malaga  is  imported 
from  Malaga,  in  Spain ;  Sherry  is  our  English 
rendering  of  the  place-name  Xeres,  near  Cadiz ; 
while  Port  constitutes  the  native  wine  of  Oporto, 
the  capital  of  Portugal.  Of  Mediterranean  wines, 
Cyprus,  brought  from  the  now  British  island  of 


128  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

that  name,  and  Malmsey,  an  English  corruption  of 
Malvoise,  so  termed  after  the  district  in  the  island 
of  Candia,  where  it  is  produced,  are  the  chief. 
Madeira  and  Canary  are  imported  from  the  islands 
so  called,  situated  on  the  great  ocean  highway  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  An  excellent  wine  greatly 
sought  after  on  the  Continent,  though  somewhat 
unknown  in  this  country,  is  Tokay,  produced  from 
white  grapes  cultivated  in  the  district  of  Tokay, 
Upper  Hungary.  Claret  owes  its  designation  to 
the  French  clair,  clear,  because  it  is  a  clarified  wine ; 
whereas  Tent  Wine  is  a  mere  corruption  of  the 
Spanish  vino  Unto,  signifying  a  white  wine  coloured. 
The  sparkling  champagne  known  as  Sillery  popu- 
larizes the  name  of  the  Marquis  de  Sillery,  the 
proprietor  of  the  vineyards  where  this  particular 
species  is  produced;  just  as  Pommery  is  destined 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  Madame  Pommery, 
mother  to  the  Duchess  de  Polignac,  and  sole 
proprietress  of  the  vineyards  and  subterranean 
Pommery  vaults  near  Rheims.  Moet  and  Chandon 
similarly  denotes  the  champagne  brewed  by  the 
well-known  French  firm  trading  under  the  style  of 
"  Moet  et  Chandon." 

Among  concoctions  of  the  vinous  order  we  have 
Hippocras,  so  called  because  it  is  said  to  have 
been  first  made  according  to  the  recipe  of  Hippo- 
crates, the  Father  of  Medicine  ;  Badminton,. 
originally  prepared  at  Badminton,  the  seat  of  the 
Duke  of  Beaufort;  and  NegUS,  named  after  Colonel 
Francis  Negus,  who  invented  it.  Formerly,  our 


Wines.  129 

countrymen  set  great  store  by  Sack,  which  was 
simply  the  designation  of  a  dry  wine,  derived  from 
the  French  word  sec,  dry.  Wine  is  said  to  be  a  Dry 
Wine  when  it  is  neither  sweet  nor  sparkling.  It 
cannot  be  sweet  because,  the  fermentation  being 
complete,  the  sugar  contained  in  it  is  fully  decom- 
posed ;  moreover,  it  is  dry  because  the  carbonic  acid 
has  escaped.  For  the  like  reason,  a  certain  evidence 
that  port  wine  has  completed  the  process  of  fermen- 
tation is  the  alcohol  precipitated  on  the  sides  of  the 
bottle,  and  forming  a  crust ;  hence  the  term  Crusted 
Port.  A  very  bad  wine  of  whatever  kind  usually 
bears  the  name  of  Three  Men  Wine,  owing  to 
the  idea  that  it  requires  one  man  to  hold  the  drinker, 
and  another  to  pour  it  down  his  throat,  while  the 
third  is  the  unfortunate  individual  himself.  The 
derivation  of  the  term  Wine  is  the  Anglo-Saxon  vin 
from  the  Latin  vinum,  allied  to  vinea,  a  vine. 


LITERARY   SOBRIQUETS. 

GILDAS,  the  earliest  chronicler  of  British 
history  (born  511,  died  570),  was  surnamed 
The  Wise  on  account  of  his  learning, 
which  must  have  excited  the  wonder  of  the  semi- 
barbarian  inhabitants  of  these  islands  in  the  sixth 
century.  Later,  the  Saxon  historian  Beda,  incorrectly 
called  Bede  (born  673,  died  735),  was  surnamed  The 
Venerable  because  he  was  also  an  ecclesiastic.  Ap- 
proaching more  modern  times,  we  meet  with  John 
White,  a  Nonconformist  lawyer,  who,  in  consequence 
of  being  the  author  of  a  work  entitled  "  The  First 
Century  of  Scandalous,  Malignant  Priests,  made  and 
admitted  into  Benefices  by  the  Prelates,  &c.,"  merited 
the  popular  description  of  Century  White.  Still 
nearer  our  own  day,  Matthew  Gregory  Lewis  (born 
1775,  died  1818)  became  the  recipient  of  the  name  of 
Monk  Lewis,  after  the  publication  of  his  famous 
novel,  "The  Monk";  just  as  John  Thomas  Smith, 
the  antiquary  (born  1766,  died  1833),  was  indebted 
to  his  chatty,  albeit  valuable  work,  "A  Book  for 
a  Rainy  Day,"  for  his  sobriquet  of  Rainy-Day 
Smith, 

Turning  to  the  poets,  John  Sylvester,  the  trans- 
lator of   Du  Barta's  "  Divine  Weeks  and  Works  " 


Literary  Sobriquets.  131 

'(born  1563,  died  1613),  is  popularly  referred  to  as 
Silver-tongued  Sylvester  on  account  of  the 
sweet  melody  of  his  verse.  John  Taylor,  the 
Water  Poet  (born  1580,  died  1654),  was  a  Thames 
waterman;  James  Hogg,  The  Ettrick  Shepherd 
(born  1772,  died  1835),  followed  the  employment  of 
-a  shepherd  in  the  forest  of  Ettrick,  Selkirkshire ;  and 
Edward  Capern,  The  Bideford  Postman  (born 
1819),  was  for  several  years  a  letter-carrier  in  the 
little  town  of  Bideford,  Devonshire.  Nathaniel  Lee 
(born  1655,  died  1691)  received  the  name  of  The 
Mad  Poet  from  the  fact  of  his  four  years'  confine- 
ment in  a  mad-house.  The  Quaker  Poet  was 
Bernard  Barton,  the  friend  of  Charles  Lamb  (born 
1784,  died  1849) ;  while  Samuel  Rogers,  The 
.Banker  Poet  (born  1763,  died  1855),  divided  his 
time  pleasantly  between  the  counting-house  and 
the  study.  Thomas  Moore  (born  1779,  died  1852) 
merited  the  style  of  Anacreon  Moore  by  his 
translations  from  the  Greek  poet  Anacreon,  and  the 
circumstance  that  his  own  original  verses  were  con- 
•structed  upon  the  same  classic  model.  Richard 
Home,  the  poet  and  critic  (born  1802,  died  1884), 
was  known  as  Orion  Home,  and  also  as  The 
Farthing  Poet,  on  account  of  his  principal  work 
"  Orion,"  published  at  one  farthing,  as  a  satire  on 
the  poverty  of  the  book-buying  public. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  (born  1771,  died  1832)  was 
surnamed  The  Wizard  of  the  North  owing  to 
the  magic  influence  which  he  exerted  over  all 
classes  of  the  people,  and  the  widespread  fascination 


132  Names:  and  their  Meaning. 

of  his  novels;  while  Henry  Mackenzie,  the  author 
of  "The  Man  of  Feeling"  (born  1745,  died  1831), 
enjoyed  the  signal  honour  of  being  designated 
The  Addison  of  the  North,  owing  to  the  purity 
and  excellence  of  his  style.  No  more  flattering 
recognition  of  the  genius  of  William  Wordsworth 
(born  1770,  died  1850)  could  ever  have  been  desired 
than  the  title  of  The  Minstrel  of  the  Border, 
bestowed  upon  him  by  Sir  Walter  Scptt.  The  Corn 
Law  Rhymer  was  Ebenezer  Elliott  (born  1781, 
died  1849)  wh°>  by  the  dedication  of  his  numerous 
versified  philippics  to  the  opponents  of  Free  Trade, 
indirectly,  if  not  directly,  prepared  the  way  for  the 
repeal  of  the  obnoxious  Corn  Laws  in  the  year  1846. 
Reference  to  the  word  "  Philippics  "  carries  us  back 
in  imagination  to  Demosthenes,  who  directed  one  of 
his  most  famous  orations  against  Philip,  King  of 
Macedon  ;  hence,  any  indignant  invective  or  vehe- 
ment denunciation  is  characteristically  styled  a 
PHILIPPIC. 


THE    COUNTIES    OF    ENGLAND 
AND    WALES. 

NORTHUMBERLAND  originally  denoted 
the  land  north  of  the  Humber;  Cumber- 
land, the  land  occupied  by  the  Cymri ;  and 
Westmoreland,  the  land  of  the  Westmorings,  or 
people  of  the  Western  moors.  Durham  is  a 
corruption  of  Dunholm,  signifying  a  hill-fort  on  an 
island  in  the  river;  dun  being  Celtic  for  a  hill,  or  fort 
on  a  hill,  and  holm  the  Scandinavian  for  an  island. 
The  Shire,  or  County,  of  York,  in  common  with  the 
majority  of  the  Midland  and  Welsh  counties,  is 
named  after  its  chief  town ;  or  rather,  in  this  case, 
the  ancient  city  described  in  documents  as  Eurewic, 
but  pronounced  Yorric,  from  its  position  on  the  river 
Eure,  now  known  as  the  Ouse. 

Lancashire  indicates  the  Shire  of  Lancaster, 
the  caester,  or  camp-town,  on  the  Lune.  This 
Anglo-Saxon  word  Caester,  derived  from  the  Latin 
•castra,  a  camp,  fortress,  appears  also  in  the  names 
of  Cheshire,  a  contraction  of  Caestershire,  the  Shire 
of  Chester,  the  town  built  on  the  site  of  the  old 
Roman  castra,  or  camp;  in  Leicestershire,  the 
Shire  of  the  camp-town  on  the  river  Leire,  now 
called  the  Soar ;  in  Worcestershire,  the  Shire  of 


134  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Hwic-ware- shire,  or  fortress-town,  of  the  Huiccii; 
and  in  Gloucestershire,  the  Shire  of  the  camp- 
town  in  which  Gloi,  a  son  of  the  Emperor  Claudius,. 
was  born  during  the  Roman  occupation  of  Britain. 

Lincoln  is  a  contraction  of  the  Latin  Lindum- 
colonia,  signifying  the  colony  formed  by  the  Romans 
on  the  Llyn-dun,  literally  "  the  fortified  hill  by  the 
pool,"  originally  occupied  and  so  called  by  the 
ancient  Britons  [see  LONDON],  The  names  Norfolk. 
and  Suffolk  respectively  indicate  those  portions  of 
the  eastern  coast  settled  by  the  Angles,  who  sepa- 
rated into  two  distinct  tribes,  viz.,  the  north  folk  and 
the  south  folk.  Essex  is  a  contraction  of  East- 
seaxe,  denoting  the  territory  occupied  by  the  East 
Saxons  ;  Sussex,  of  Suth-seaxe,  or  South  Saxons ; 
and  Middlesex,  of  Middle-seaxe,  or  the  inhabitants, 
of  the  district  between  Essex  and  Wessex,  the 
land  of  the  West  Saxons,  which,  under  the  Hep- 
tarchy, extended  to  the  westward  as  far  as 
Devon.  Surrey  is  a  modification  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  Suth-rey,  south  of  the  river,  i.e.,  the 
Thames.  Kent  was  formerly  Cantium,  indicating 
the  land  bestowed  upon  Canute,  one  of  the  com- 
panions of  Brute,  an  early  King  of  Britain,  who, 
according  to  Geoffrey  of  Monmouth,  settled  in 
England  and  eventually  founded  the  Danish 
dynasty. 

Hampshire,  also  written  Hants,  expresses  the 
Shire  of  Hantone,  or  Hantune,  now  known  as. 
Southampton,  the  south  town  on  the  river  Ant> 
or  Southampton  Water.  Dorset  was  originally 


The  Counties  of  England  and  Wales.         135 

Dwrset,  a  compound  of  the  Celtic  dwr,  water,  and 
the  Anglo-Saxon  set,  a  settlement,  alluding  to  the 
early  settlement  of  this  district  by  a  tribe  of  Britons 
who  styled  themselves Dwr-trigs,  or  "water-dwellers." 
Somerset  is  a  corruption  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  Suth- 
morset,  literally  "the  south-moor-settlement."   Devon 
is  a  modified  form  of  Dwfuient,  the  Celtic  for  "  the 
deep  valleys."     An  earlier  name  for  this  portion  of 
Britain  was   Damnonia,  the   territory   of  the  Dam- 
nonii,  a  Celtic  tribe.    Cornwall  denotes  the  territory 
of  the  "foreigners  in  the  horn,"  agreeably  to  the  Latin 
cornu,  a  horn,  referring  to  its  numerous  promontories, 
and  its   inhabitants  the  Wahl,  the  Saxon  term  for 
"  foreigners."    Like  Wales,  this  portion  of  our  island 
was  never  invaded  by  the  Anglo-Saxons;  consequently 
its  people,  the  Cymri,  a  branch  of  the  Celts,  were 
left   in    undisturbed   possession    [see  WALES].     The 
Duchy  of  Cornwall  is  still  included  in  the  Principality 
of  Wales.      Wiltshire   only   partly  expresses   the 
Shire  of  Wilton,  a   contraction   of   Willy-town,  or 
the   town   on   the   river    Willy.      Berkshire   is   a 
modern    spelling   of    the   Anglo-Saxon   Bearoc-scire, 
"forest  shire,"  in  allusion  to  the  forest  districts  of 
Bagshot   and   Windsor;   while   Buckingham  was 
originally  described  as  Boccenham}  the  Anglo-Saxon 
for  "  beech-tree-home,"  this  county  being  especially 
noted  for  its  beeches. 

Oxford  derived  its  name  from  the  Ox-ford  over  the 
Isis ;  Hertford,  from  the  ford  crossed  by  harts ; 
Hereford,  from  the  army  ford ;  and  Stafford,  from 
the  ford  crossed  by  means  of  staves  or  stilts. 


136  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Bedford  is  a  contraction  of  Bedican  ford,  the 
Anglo-Saxon  for  "  the  protected  ford."  Cambridge 
owes  its  name  to  the  University  town  by  the  bridge 
over  the  Cam,  or  crooked  river  [see  CAMBERWELL], 
Huntingdon  was  anciently  a  great  deer  forest,  and 
therefore  much  resorted  to  for  hunting.  North- 
ampton is  a  corruption  of  North-avon-town,  alluding 
to  its  position  north  of  the  river  Neu,  in  olden  times 
known  as  the  Avon.  Rutland  expresses  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  for  "  red  land,"  referring  to  the  colour  of  its 
soil.  Warwick  is  the  modern  description  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  Waer-wic,  signifying  the  garrison,  or 
war  town.  Nottingham  is  a  corruption  of  Snot- 
•ingaham,  "  the  place  of  caves,"  so  called  on  account 
of  the  soft  sandstone  which  so  greatly  facilitated  the 
formation  of  caverns  during  the  early  history  of  our 
country;  as  e.g.,  "  Mortimer's  hole,"  and  the  subter- 
ranean passage  that  led  thereto  from  Nottingham 
Castle  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  Derby  is  a 
contraction  of  the  Saxon  Deer-by,  or  "  wild-beast 
village,"  doubtless  so  designated  from  its  frequent 
invasion  by  strange  animals  from  the  mountainous 
district  of  "The  Peak"  in  search  of  prey.  Shrop- 
shire denotes  the  Shire  of  Scrobbesburgh,  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  for  "  shrub-town,"  modified  by  the  Normans 
into  Sloppesburie  (from  which  the  present  town  of 
Salop  derived  its  name),  and  corrupted  in  modern 
times  into  Shrewsbury.  Monmouth  indicates 
the  county  that  includes  the  mouth  of  the  Mon, 
originally  described  as  the  Mynwy,  "  the  border 
river." 


The  Counties  of  England  and  Wales.         137 

Anglesea,  properly  Anglesey  [see  CHELSEA,  &c.], 
is  one  of  the  three  counties  of  Wales  whose  names 
are  not  essentially  Welsh.  Thus,  Glamorgan 
signifies  the  Gwlad-Morgan,  or  territory  of  Morgan, 
a  chieftain  who  lived  in  the  tenth  century  ; 
Brecknock  is  the  hill  of  Brecon,  or  Brychan,  a 
Welsh  prince ;  Radnor  is  a  modern  spelling  of 
-Rhiadnwr-Gwy,  meaning  "  the  Cataract  of  the 
Wye  "  ;  Montgomery  refers  to  the  fortress  built 
-on  the  mont,  or  height,  by  Roger  de  Montgomerie, 
in  1093  ;  Denbigh  was  originally  Dinbach,  the  Celtic 
and  Cymric  for  "  a  little  fort  "  ;  Flint  was  so  called 
from  the  quantity  of  quartz  found  in  this  county ; 
'Carnarvon  owes  its  origin  to  Ccer-yu-ar-Fon,  the 
ccer,  or  fortress,  on  the  arfon,  or  water;  Carmarthen 
denotes  the  fortress  erected  by  Merlin ;  Merioneth 
was  named  after  Merion,  an  early  British  saint ; 
Cardigan  indicates  the  territory  of  Ceredig,  a  Welsh 
chieftain;  while  Pembroke  signifies  the  pen,  or 
head  of  the  broc,  the  Celtic  and  Cymric  for  a  district, 
so  called  because  this  promontory  was  virtually  the 
Land's  End. 


CARRIAGES. 

THE  Phaeton  owes  its  designation  to  the 
mythological  personage  of  that  name  who 
received  permission  to  drive  the  sun-car  of 
Helios,  his  father,  for  one  day,  with  the  result  that, 
being  overthrown,  he  nearly  set  the  world  on  fire. 
The  Victoria  was  introduced  in  the  year  that 
v/itnessed  the  coronation  of  Her  Majesty  Queen 
Victoria.  The  Clarence  was  the  favourite  con- 
veyance of  the  Duke  of  Clarence,  afterwards  William 
IV.  The  Brougham,  invented  in  1839,  received  its 
name  from  Lord  Brougham,  who  was  the  first  to- 
permanently  adopt  it ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
the  Stanhope,  so  called  in  compliment  to  Lord 
Stanhope.  The  Sociable  is  an  appropriate  name 
enough  for  an  open  carriage  of  which  the  facing, 
seats  afford  opportunity  for  pleasant  conversation. 
The  Landau  was  first  made  at  Landau  in  Germany; 
whereas  the  Tilbury  perpetuates  the  name  of  a 
celebrated  London  sportsman  who  introduced  this 
particular  species  of  carriage  during  the  early  part 
of  the  present  century. 

The  small,  light,  one-horse  vehicle  known  as  a 
Dog-cart  is  so  called  because  such  a  one  was 
originally  constructed  for  sportsmen  to  drive  their 


Carriages.  139 

pointers  and  setters  (which  they  kept  in  a  box  under 
the  seat)  to  the  scene  of  the  sport.  The  term  Buggy 
is  a  corruption  of  Bourgeois,  a  French  name  indicating 
a  vehicle  intended  for  the  middle  classes  so  denomi- 
nated ;  while  Gig  is  a  contraction  of  the  Italian  giga> 
a  romp,  and  the  French  gigue,  a  lively  dance,  a  jig, 
in  allusion  to  its  jumping  and  rocking  motion.  The 
like  derivation  applies  to  the  long,  light  ship's  wherry 
which  passes  under  the  same  name.  The  term 
Sulky,  as  applied  to  a  light  two-wheeled  convey- 
ance, owed  its  origin  to  the  fact  that,  when  it 
was  introduced,  people  hazarded  the  opinion  that 
none  but  sulky,  morose,  and  selfish  people  would  ride: 
in  such  a  carriage,  because  it  had  only  accommodation 
for  one  person.  The  Noddy,  peculiar  to  Dublin, 
derives  its  title  from  the  jolting  motion  which  keeps 
its  riders  continually  nodding;  and  the  Jaunting 
Car,  from  the  jaunts  and  country  outings  for  which, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Irish  Sea,  these  vehicles  are 
largely  employed.  The  English  Break  bears  its 
name  because  it  partakes  of  the  character  of  the 
four-wheel  vehicle  used  by  horse-breakers;  indeed,. 
it  differs  from  the  latter  only  in  the  addition  of  the 
upper  portion  containing  the  seats. 

Stage-coaches  were  originally  so  called  on  account 
of  the  different  stages  at  which  they  stopped  to 
change  horses  and  refresh  the  passengers.  'Bus  is 
short  for  Omnibus,  a  Latin  word  signifying  "  for 
all."  The  step  at  the  back  of  an  omnibus  is 
facetiously  styled  the  Monkey-board,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  capers  usually  executed  thereon  by 


140  Names:  and  their  Meaning. 

the  conductor.  The  board  on  either  side  of  the 
roof  of  the  vehicle,  upon  which  theatrical  and  other 
advertisements  are  exhibited  is  known  as  the  Knife- 
board,  from  its  fancied  resemblance  to  that  article 
of  domestic  utility.  So  far  from  having  derived  its 
name  from  one  of  the  northern  suburbs  of  London,  a 
Hackney-coach  is  simply  an  English  rendering  of 
coche-a-haquence,  the  literal  French  for  a  coach  drawn 
by  a  hired  horse.  The  word  Coach  (French,  coche, 
the  diminutive  of  the  Italian  conchula,  a  shell)  really 
means  a  shell-like  contrivance  upon  wheels.  Cab  is  a 
contraction  of  the  Cabriolet,  from  cabriole,  a  goat's 
leap,  in  allusion  to  its  lightness  and  springiness,  first 
introduced  in  Paris.  This  vehicle,  after  undergoing 
sundry  changes  and  improvements,  was  patented  in 
the  year  1883  as  the  "Safety  Cab"  by  Joseph 
Aloysius  Hansom,  from  which  circumstance  it  has 
in  more  recent  times  come  to  be  generally  designated 
the  Hansom  Cab. 

The  term  Hearse  traces  its  origin  through  the 
'German  hirsch  from  the  Gothic  hersa,  a  sepulchral 
mound.  At  a  later  date  it  implied  a  temporary 
monument,  but  nowadays  it  denotes  the  funeral  car. 
The  word  Funeral,  by  the  way,  is  a  contraction  of 
the  Latin  funeralis,  signifying  a  torchlight  procession, 
from  funis,  a  torch,  because  interments  among  the 
Romans  always  took  place  by  night.  Pantech- 
nicon is  a  Greek  word,  composed  of  pan,  all, 
and  techne,  art,  indicative  of  the  place  where  every 
kind  of  industrial  art  was  exhibited  or  exposed  for 
sale.  In  modern  days  the  term  has  come  to  be 


Carriages. 

exclusively  applied  to  a  vehicle  constructed  for  the 
removal  of  household  furniture.  Lastly,  the  cloth 
that  covers  the  box-seat  of  a  carriage  of  any  kind 
is  called  the  Hammer-cloth,  because  in  the  old 
coaching  days  it  concealed  the  box  which  contained 
a  hammer,  nails,  and  other  implements  useful  for 
repairs  in  the  event  of  a  breakdown  on  the  journey. 


DANCES. 

DANCING  is  styled  the  Terpsichorean  Art 
in  honour  of  Terpsichore,  the  daughter  of 
Jupiter  and  Mnemsoyse,  whom  the  ancients 
regarded  as  its  inventress.  The  Morris  Dance,  from 
which  our  "Jack  in  the  Green"  and  his  fellow  May- 
day revellers  trace  their  origin,  was  the  military 
dance  of  the  Moors,  or  Moriscoes,  introduced  into 
this  country  by  John  of  Gaunt  on  his  return  from 
Spain  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  Five  men  and  a 
boy  took  part  in  it,  and  from  the  fact  of  the  boy 
wearing  an  ill-fitting  helmet  called  a  morione,  he 
received  the  name  of  "  Mad  Morion,"  which  was 
subsequently  corrupted  into  Maid  Marian.  The 
Saraband  was  invented  by  Zarabanda,  a  famous 
dancer  of  Seville  in  the  sixteenth  century.  The 
Gavotte  arose  among  the  Gavots,  a  people  who 
inhabited  the  department  of  the  Upper  Alps  and  the 
province  of  Dauphiny,  in  France.  Quadrille  is  the 
literal  French  for  "  a  little  square,"  so  called  from 
the  position  taken  up  by  the  dancers;  while  the 
Lancers  derived  their  name  from  a  company  of 
Lancers  who  originally  improvised  this  variation  of 
the  Quadrille  for  their  own  amusement  while  seated 
in  their  saddles.  The  Polka,  of  Polish  origin,  is  so 


Dances.  143 

designated  on  account  of  the  Bohemian  word  pulka, 
a  half,  in  allusion  to  the  half  step  occurring  in  it ; 
the  Schottische  is  a  variation  of  the  Polka;  the 
Mazourka  is  the  national  dance  of  Poland — all  of 
which,  with  the  addition  of  the  Redowa,  are  native 
terms.  The  Waltz  is  a  contraction  of  the  German 
Waltzer,  derived  from  the  verb  waltzen,  to  roll,  to 
revolve,  alluding  to  the  revolutions  made  by  the 
pairs  of  dancers  placed  vis-a-vis.  The  Country 
Dance,  so  far  from  being  a  peasants'  dance,  is 
nothing  more  than  a  corruption  of  the  French 
contre-danse,  signifying  that  the  parties  place  them- 
selves opposite  to  each  other  during  the  dance. 
Strictly  speaking,  the  Contre-danse  and  the  Quad- 
rille are  one  and  the  same.  The  Roger  de 
Coverley  derived  its  name  from  the  great-grand- 
father of  Roger  de  Coverley,  or  rather,  to  be 
precise,  of  Roger  of  Cowley,  near  Oxford,  who 
invented  it.  The  Minuet  (Latin  minutus,  small) 
is  so  called  wholly  on  account  of  the  short  steps 
peculiar  to  this  dance.  The  Tarantella  was  in- 
vented in  Italy  out  of  the  supposition  that  the  pro- 
fuse perspiration  which  it  induced  was  a  certain  cure 
for  the  poisonous  bite  of  the  TARANTULA  SPIDER, 
named  after  the  city  of  Taranto,  where  its  baneful 
presence  was  first  manifested.  Cinderella  Dances 
are  those  which  terminate  before  midnight,  in  allu- 
sion to  Cinderella  of  nursery  renown. 

The  origin  of  the  word  Ball,  in  its  application  to 
a  dancing-party,  is  somewhat  singular.  Centuries 
ago  there  was  in  vogue  on  the  Continent  a  three- 


144  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

fold  game,  in  which  the  players  danced  to  the  sound1 
of  their  own  voices  while  they  threw  to  one  another 
a   ball.     In   all   probability  this   arose   out   of   the 
curious  "  Ball-Play  in  Church"  by  the  Neapolitans 
during  the  Saturnalia,  or  "  Feast  of  Fools,"  corres- 
ponding to  our  Easter-tide.     There  is  even  now  a 
statute  in  existence  which  regulated   the   size  and 
character  of  the  ball  to  be  used  on  such  occasions.. 
In  opening  the  ceremony,  the  Dean  took  the  ball  in 
his  left  hand,  and  commenced  an  antiphon,  which 
the  organ  took  up ;  whereupon  he  tossed  the  ball  to- 
first  one  and  then  another  of  the  choir-boys,  as  they 
joined  hands,  sang,  and  danced  around  him.    When,, 
therefore,   the    three-fold    game    alluded   to    above 
divided    and    its    three     sets    of    dancers    became 
independent   of  each   other,  the   dance   itself  took 
the  name  of  the  article  that  was,  as  if  by  common 
consent,  discarded — to  wit,  the  ball;  and  the  song 
was  styled  the  Ballata,  or,  according  to  the  modern 
English,   a  BALLAD  indicative   of  a   dancing-song; 
while  the  verb  ballare,  to  dance,  gave  existence  to- 
the  French  Ballet,  signifying  a  dance  tune.   Apropos 
of  the  Ballet,  the  term  Coryph6e,  as  applied  to  a 
ballet-dancer,    traces    its    origin    from    the    Greek 
coryph&us,  the   designation  of  one   who   danced   to 
the  lute  in  the  theatres  of  the  ancients.     En  passant, 
the  famous  war  dance  of  the  Greeks,  executed  in 
very  quick  time  and  known  as  the  Phyrric  Dance, 
was  so  denominated  after    Pyrrichos,  a  celebrated 
Dorian  flautist. 

The  Hornpipe  is   an  inversion  of  pib-gorn,  the 


Dances.  145 

name  of  the  old  Welsh  instrument  consisting  of  a 
pib,  or  pipe,  with  a  gorn,  or  horn,  at  each  end,  to 
which  this  dance  was  originally  stepped  ;  the  Reel 
has  reference  to  the  whirling  evolutions  performed 
by  the  dancer,  as  of  winding  cotton  on  a  reel ; 
whereas  the  Jig  comes  from  the  French  gigue,  a 
lively  dance,  and  gige,  a  stringed  instrument,  the 
usual  accompaniment  to  this  rough  and-ready  style 
of  pedal  exhilaration.  The  term  Breakdown  is  an 
Americanism,  denoting  the  last  boisterous  dance 
before  the  breaking  up  of  a  dancing-party  towards, 
early  morning.  Appropriately  enough,  such  a  dance 
invariably  constitutes  the  final  item  of  a  negro- 
minstrel  entertainment. 


10 


PIGMENTS    AND    DYES. 

THE  word  Pigment  is  a  contraction  of  the 
Latin  pigmentum,  based  upon  the  verb  pin- 
gere,  to  paint.  Dye  traces  its  origin  to  the 
Anglo-Saxon  deag,  a  colour,  remotely  derived  from 
the  Latin  tingere,  to  stain.  Several  of  the  pigments 
most  generally  used  owe  their  names  to  the  places 
whence  they  are,  or  were  originally,  brought.  As 
examples :  Timber  was  first  obtained  in  the  district 
of  Umbria,  in  Italy,  and  Sienna,  properly  called 
Terra  di  Sienna,  or  Sienna  Earth,  from  Sienna ; 
Gamboge  comes  from  Cambodia,  formerly  known 
as  Gambogia,  in  Siam ;  Indigo,  from  Indicus,  the 
ancient  description  of  India;  and  Krems  White, 
from  the  city  of  Krems,  in  Austria,  where  it  is 
exclusively  manufactured.  Prussian  Red,  Bruns- 
wick Green,  Brunswick  Black,  Frankfort 
Black,  Hamburg  Lake,  Venetian  Red,  and 
Chinese  Yellow,  speak  for  themselves.  Prussian 
Blue,  also  called  Berlin  Blue,  was  first  made  by 
a  native  colourman  of  Berlin  in  the  year  1710; 
whereas  Saunders  Blue  is  merely  a  corruption 
of  cendres-bleus,  the  French  for  blue  ashes,  this 
pigment  being  obtained  from  calcined  bluestone. 
Another  name  for  the  latter  is  Ultramarine, 


Pigments  and  Dyes.  147 

because  it  was  originally  brought  from  ultra,  beyond, 
and  marinus,  the  sea. 

The  deep  blue  known  as  Mazarine  was  named 
after  Cardinal  Mazarin,  the  Prime  Minister  of  France 
(born  1602,  died  1661),  in  whose  time  it  was  first  pre- 
pared; while  the  puce  colour  known  as  Pompadour 
received  its  designation  from  Madame  le  Pompadour, 
the  mistress  of  Louis  XV.  (born  1721,  died  1764),  who 
popularized  it.  Cardinal  is  so  called  because  it 
expresses  the  exact  shade  of  the  red  habit  worn  by 
the  cardinals  of  the  Church  ;  the  term  Carmine 
owes  its  origin  to  the  Italian  carminio,  purple ;  while 
darnation  denotes  a  flesh  tint,  in  accordance  with 
the  Latin  caro,  flesh.  The  colour  which  results 
from  the  combination  of  a  vivid  red  with  more  or 
less  white  is  styled  Fink,  owing  to  its  resemblance 
to  the  flower  so  designated. 

The  origin  of  the  word  Purple  must  be  sought  in 
connection  with  the  circumstance  in  which  this  dye, 
or  colour,  was  discovered.  It  appears  that  one  day 
a  favourite  dog  belonging  to  Hercules  of  Tyre 
chanced  to  eat  a  species  of  fish  known  to  the 
ancients  as  the  purpura ;  and  upon  returning  to  his 
master,  the  latter  found  the  lips  of  the  animal  tinged 
with  the  colour  that  was  shortly  afterwards  imitated 
and  denominated  purple.  The  term  Scarlet  is  a 
modification  of  sakarlaty  the  Persian  description  of  a 
bright  red  colour;  while  Crimson  traces  its  exist- 
ence through  the  Old  English  crimosyn  to  garmaz, 
the  Arabic,  term  for  the  cochineaHnsect.  from  whose 
•dried  body,  found  upon  a  species  of  cactus,  this  vivid 


148  Names :   and  their  Meaning. 

dye-stuff  is  obtained.  The  beautiful  purple  obtained 
from  chloride  of  gold  bears  the  name  of  Cassius 
after  its  inventor. 

Magenta  was  named  in  commemoration  of  the 
Battle  of  Magenta,  fought  in  1859 ;  and  Vandyke 
Brown,  from  its  having  been  so  frequently  used  by 
Vandyk  (born  1599,  died  1641)  that  it  forms  a 
characteristic  colour  in  all  his  portraits.  Sepia  is 
the  Greek  designation  of  the  cuttle-fish,  and  the 
pigment  so  called  is  obtained  from  the  dark  juice 
secreted  by  the  glands  of  the  Indian  species  of  this, 
fish.  Sap-Green  is  prepared  from  the  juice  of  the 
ripe  berries  of  the  buckthorn  ;  whereas  Emerald 
Green  denotes  the  particular  shade  of  green  that 
characterizes  the  emerald.  Lamp  Black  is  so 
called  because  it  was  originally  obtained  from  the 
burning  of  resinous  matter  over  a  lamp.  Ivory 
Black  is  a  pigment  formerly  obtained  from  charred 
ivory,  but  nowadays  from  bones.  The  origin  of 
Isabel,  a  dull  brownish-yellow,  with  a  mixture  of 
red  and  grey,  is  as  follows : — When  the  Duke  of 
Austria  was  besieging  Ostend  in  1601,  Isabella,  his 
wife,  the  daughter  of  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  vowed  that 
she  would  not  change  her  linen  until  the  town  had 
been  taken.  Unfortunately  for  her  personal  comfort, 
the  town  held  out  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
period  her  linen  assumed  the  characteristic  hue  that 
was  afterwards  imitated  by  the  ingenious  colour- 
man  who  sought  to  honour  her  by  perpetuating  the 
incident. 


LONDON   DISTRICTS    AND 
SUBURBS. 

AT  that  remote  period  when  the  first  rude  huts 
were  established  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames, 
the  surrounding  scene  could  have  presented 
nothing  more  inviting  to  the  eye  than  an  extensive 
marsh  or  morass.  That  such  was  undoubtedly  the 
case  the  existing  names  of  FENCHURCH  Street  and 
FINSBURY,  furnish  ample  evidence.  The  former 
marks  the  site  of  an  ancient  church  situated  among 
the  fens,  while  the  latter  is  an  easy  corruption  of 
Fensbury,  the  Anglo-Saxon  designation  for  "  a  town 
among  the  fens."  Therefore  it  was  not  surprising  that 
the  barbaric  Britons,  who  founded  what  we  now  call 
London,  should  have  given  the  name  of  Llyn-dun 
[see  LINCOLN]  to  their  colony  beside  the  Thames. 
Apropos  of  the  Thames,  the  name  of  our  noble  river 
is  merely  a  slight  contraction  of  the  Latin  Thamesis, 
signifying  "  the  broad  Isis."  Isis  is  the  Celtic  for 
water. 

Westminster  was  denominated  after  the  Abbey 
[see  WESTMINSTER  ABBEY].  Belgravia  is  the  name 
given  to  the  fashionable  district  of  which  Belgrave 
Square  is  the  common  centre.  Pimlieo  owed  its 
designation  to  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  tavern- 


150  Names:  and  their  Meaning. 

keepers  of  this  neighbourhood  to  rival  the  celebrated 
nut-brown  ales  of  one  Ben  Pimlico,  who  kept  a 
pleasure-garden  near  Hoxton,  the  road  to  which 
was  known  as  Pimlico  Walk  (still  in  existence), 
and  the  garden  itself,  first  as  "  Pimlico's,"  and  sub- 
sequently as  "  Pimlico."  The  name  of  Knights- 
bridge  carries  us  back  to  the  time  when  two  knights, 
on  their  way  to  receive  a  blessing  from  the  Bishop 
of  London  at  Fulham,  engaged  in  a  deadly  combat 
on  the  bridge  that  spanned  the  Westbourne,  exactly 
on  the  spot  where  Albert  Gate  now  stands.  Prior 
to  this  incident  the  bridge  had  borne  the  name  of 
Fulham  Bridge.  Mayfair  occupies  the  site  of  an 
annual  six  days'  fair  held  in  May,  originally  at  the 
instance  of  Edward  L,  for  the  benefit  of  the  leper 
hospital  of  St.  James  the  Less,  Bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
now  St.  James's  Palace.  The  district  of  Soho  was 
known  by  its  present  name  as  long  ago  as  the  six* 
teenth  century  ;  "So  ho ! "  being  the  cry  of  the 
huntsmen  when  calling  off  their  harriers  in  the  days 
when  the  whole  of  London  west  of  Drury  Lane 
was  open  country.  Bloomsbury  is  a  corruption  of 
"  Lomesbury  Village,"  of  which  the  Manor  House 
stood  on  the  site  of  Bloomsbury  Square.  Smith* 
field  is  a  modern  perversion  of  "  Smoothfield,"  an 
extensive  tract  of  meadow  land  where  horses  were 
sold  and  tournaments  were  held  as  far  back  as  the 
twelfth  century.  The  first  recorded  English  horse- 
race was  witnessed  in  Smoothfield  in  the  year  1154. 
Clerkenwell  derived  its  name  from  an  ancient  well 
(now  marked  by  an  iron  pump  let  into  the  wall  at 


London  Districts  and  Suburbs.  151 

the  south-east  end  of  Ray  Street)  beside  which 
the  parish  clerks  performed  their  Miracle  Plays. 
Spa  Fields,  now  built  over,  owed  their  designation 
to  a  medicinal  well,  or  Spa,  discovered  in  1206,  and 
subsequently  known  as  "  The  London  Spa."  The 
proper  description  of  Bunhill  Fields  is  Bonhill,  i.e., 
"  good  hill  "  Fields,  so  styled  because  the  victims  of 
the  Great  Plague  were  buried  here  in  1665.  Moor- 
fields  was  formerly  a  bleak  moor  skirting  the 
northern  portion  of  the  marshy  land  known  as 
Fensbury,  now  Finsbury,  already  referred  to. 

Shoreditch  did  not  receive  its  name  from  Jane 
Shore,  neither  is  the  word  a  corruption  of  "  Sewer 
Ditch/'  as  some  writers  have  suggested.  This  dis- 
trict really  comprised  the  manor  of  Sir  John  Soerditch, 
a  wealthy  London  citizen  and  a  valiant  knight  who 
fought  by  the  side  of  Edward  the  Black  Prince  at 
Crecy  and  Poictiers.  Whitechapel  was  designated 
after  the  White  Chapel  of  St.  Mary,  built  in  1673. 
Goodman's  Fields  perpetuated  the  name  of  the 
owner  of  the  land  now  known  as  the  Minories,  upon 
which  a  Priory  of  the  Nuns  of  St.  Clair  was  after- 
wards built.  Shadwellis  a  corruption  of  St.  Chad's 
Well,  discovered  in  this  neighbourhood  in  ancient 
times.  The  once-notorious  Ratcliffe  Highway 
derived  its  name  from  the  Manor  of  Ratcliffe,  be- 
longing to  the  adjoining  parish  of  Stepney.  The 
title  has  now  been  changed  to  St.  George's  Street. 
Stepney  was  anciently  described  as  Stebenhithe, 
signifying  that  it  contained  a  wharf  or  haven  belong- 
ing to  one  Steben  or  Steven.  Spitalfields  marks 


152  Names  :    and  their  Meaning. 

the  site  of  the  ancient  Priory  of  St.  Mary  of  the 
Spittle,  dissolved  in  1534.  The  French  refugees 
established  the  silk  manufacture  here  in  1685. 
Bethnal  Green  recalls  the  existence  of  the  old 
family  of  the  Bathons,  whose  history  is  first  recorded 
in  connection  with  their  property  situated  in  this 
neighbourhood  during  the  reign  of  Edward  I. 
Hoxton  is  a  corruption  of  Hogsdon,  meaning  hog's 
town.  In  proof  of  this  statement  we  may  add  that 
HOG  LANE  still  exists  in  the  vicinity.  De  Beauvoir 
Town  preserves  the  family  name  of  the  De  Beau- 
voirs,  whose  original  ancestor,  Richard  de  Beauvoir, 
of  Guernsey,  resided  here  in  princely  style.  Copen- 
hagen Fields  were  so  called  after  a  tea-house 
opened  by  a  Dane,  about  the  time  when  the  King  of 
Denmark  paid  a  visit  to  James  I.  Haggerstone  is 
a  corruption  of  "  Hergotestan,"  the  literal  Saxon 
for  "  Our  God's  Town."  Hackney  was  originally 
described  as  Hackoneye,  signifying  an  ey,  or  portion 
of  well-watered  pasture  land,  appropriated  by  a 
Danish  chief  named  Hacon  [see  CHELSEA,  &c.]. 

Dalston  is  properly  Daleston,  or  Vale-town. 
This  was  a  quiet  suburban  village  situated  in  a 
valley  during  the  days  when  the  northern  districts 
of  the  Metropolis  were  more  or  less  wooded — as 
witness  Stoke  Newington,  or  the  new  town  in  the 
meadow  by  the  wood.  The  word  Stoke  comes  from 
the  Anglo-Saxon  stoc,  a  wood  or  stockade ;  ton  is  the 
Old  English  for  town,  and  ing  the  Anglo-Saxon 
for  a  meadow,  also  a  family  settlement.  Southgate 
is  expressive  of  the  southern  entrance  to  the  en- 


London  Districts  and  Suburbs.  153 

closure,  anciently  known  as  Enfield  Chase ;  and 
Xingsland  the  royal  domain  adjacent  to  it. 
.Abney  Park  owes  its  name  to  ABNEY  HOUSE, 
recently  converted  into  a  Conservative  Club,  but 
•originally  the  residence  of  Sir  Thomas  Abney 
•(born  1639,  died  1722),  Lord  Mayor  and  a  dis- 
tinguished Nonconformist,  knighted  by  William  III. 
Dr.  Isaac  Watts  died  at  Abney  House  in  1748. 
'Green  Lanes  indicates  the  rural  character  of  this 
neighbourhood  in  bygone  times.  Edmonton  is 
properly  Edmond's-town.  The  name  of  Ball's  Pond 
is  all  that  remains  to  remind  us  of  the  one-time 
-existence  of  "  The  Salutation  "  house  of  call  which 
had  a  pond  for  dog  and  duck  sports,  kept  by  John 
Ball.  Mildmay  Park  is  so  called  after  MILDMAY 
HOUSE,  the  family  seat  of  Sir  Henry  Mildmay,  who 
came  into  possession  of  the  estate  by  his  marriage 
•with  the  daughter  of  William  Halliday,  an  Alderman 
of  the  City  in  the  time  of  Charles  I.  Muswell 
Hill  is  a  slight  corruption  of  Mustwell  Hill,  derived 
from  the  Latin  mustus,  new,  fresh ;  because  on 
this  hill  there  was  anciently  discovered  a  well  of 
clear,  fresh  water  by  the  friars  of  St.  John's  Priory, 
Clerkenwell,  who  had  a  dairy  hereabouts.  That 
portion  of  the  hill  which  has  been  cut  through  for  the 
construction  of  the  line  of  railway  to  Enfield,  Barnet, 
•and  the  north,  bears  the  name  of  The  Hog's  Back, 
in  allusion  to  its  shape.  The  name  of  Wood  Green 
is  self-explanatory.  Hornsey  is  a  corruption  of 
•"  Harringe,"  or  meadow  of  hares.  Canonbury 
received  its  title  from  the  residence  of  the  Prior  of 


154  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

the  Canons  of  St.  Bartholomew,  built  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood soon  after  the  Conquest.  Bury  is  Saxon: 
for  a  town  or  enclosed  habitation,  equivalent  to  the 
Celtic  don,  and  Old  English -ton.  In  days  of  old, 
Highbury  contained  a  Priory  of  the  Knights  of  St.. 
John  of  Jerusalem,  built  in  1271.  The  establishment 
was  called  High-bury,  because  it  stood  upon  higher 
ground  than  their  previous  residence  which  had  borne 
the  name  of  Tolentone,  or  lower  town.  Holloway 
reminds  us  that  this  was  once  a  miry  hollow  between 
Highgate  and  Islington.  Barnsbury  is  the  bury,  or 
town,  built  upon  the  rising  land,  anciently  dis- 
tinguished by  a  number  of  straggling  barns.  Isling- 
ton has  always  been  a  favourite  suburb  in  modern 
times,  and  even  our  Anglo-Saxon  ancestors  must 
have  been  delighted  with  its  situation,  lying  high 
and  dry  beyond  the  fens,  with  a  clear,  swift-flowing 
stream  meandering  through  it.  The  name  means 
"  watered-meadow  town." 

King's  Cross  derived  its  name  from  a  wretched 
statue  of  George  IV.,  set  up  in  honour  of  his 
accession  in  1820,  and  demolished  to  make  way  for 
the  London  terminus  of  the  Great  Northern  Rail- 
way in  1842.  The  parish  of  St.  Pancras  is  so 
called  after  the  church  dedicated  to  the  boy-saint 
who  was  martyred  by  Diocletian  in  the  early  days 
of  Christianity.  Agar  Town,  now  entirely  swept 
away  by  modern  improvements,  was  designated  after 
William  Agar,  a  miserly  lawyer  who  acquired  the 
lease  of  the  land  for  building  purposes  in  1840. 
Somers  Town  is  the  property  of  Lord  Somers,  and 


London  Districts  and  Suburbs.  155 

Camden  Town,  of  the  Earl  of  Camden.  Kentish. 
Town  was  formerly  written  "  Kestestown  "  ;  but 
even  that  was  a  corruption  of  "  Kantelowes  Town," 
erected  upon  the  Manor  of  Kantelowes.  The  modern 
spelling  of  this  family  name  is  Cantlowes.  Primrose 
Hill  is  still  a  pleasant  eminence  whereon  primroses 
grow,  despite  the  encroachments  of  bricks  and 
mortar  all  around.  Highgate  is  a  title  expressive 
of  the  elevated  situation  of  the  village  that  sprang 
up  around  the  toll-gate  established  on  the  commoa 
highway  from  Barnet  to  Gray's  Inn  Road  about 
the  year  1400.  Holly  Village,  Highgate,  was  so 
called  by  its  foundress,  the  Baroness  Burdett-Coutts- 
Bartlett,  after  her  residence,  Holly  Lodge,  hard  by. 
Hampstead  signifies  a  farmhouse  or  homestead. 
The  word  is  Saxon :  ham,  a  home,  and  stede,  a  place. 
In  its  wider  sense,  ham  denotes  a  town.  The 
western  slope  of  Hampstead  bears  the  name  of 
Frognal,  after  Frognal  Priory,  an  ambitious  edifice 
built  here  by  Memory-Corner  Thompson  (born  1757,. 
died  1843),  in  imitation  of  Horace  Walpole's  toy 
village  on  Strawberry  Hill.  Bishop's  Wood,, 
Hampstead,  comprised  the  private  estate  of  the 
Bishop  of  London,  at  the  time  when  that  ecclesias- 
tic resided  at  Highgate.  Gospel  Oak  received 
its  designation  from  the  oak  that  marked  the 
boundaries  of  Hampstead  and  St.  Pancras,  and 
under  which,  in  accordance  with  an  ancient  custom, 
the  Gospel  was  read  once  a  year.  John  Whitfield 
is  said  to  have  preached  under  this  oak.  Chalk 
Farm  is  a  corruption  of  "  Chalcot  Farm,"  a 


156  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

picturesque  farmhouse  in  whose  vicinity  duels  were 
usually  fought  during  the  century  gone  by.  St. 
John's  Wood  was  anciently  a  thickly  wooded 
district  sheltering  an  "  Abbey  of  the  Holy  Virgins 
of  St.  John  the  Baptist."  Kilburn  owes  its  name 
to  the  Kil,  the  Celtic  word  for  a  cell,  occupied  by 
*"  one  Godwyne,  a  holy  hermit,"  beside  the  bourne,  or 
brook.  Maida  Vale  was  so  called  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  Battle  of  Maida,  in  which  the  English 
defeated  the  French,  July  4,  1806.  Marylebone 
does  not  signify  "  Mary  the  Good,"  as  the  majority  of 
-Londoners  imagine,  but  "  St.  Mary  of  the  Bourne," 
alluding  to  the  church  of  St.  Mary  within  sight  of 
the  bourne  that  ran  from  the  hermit's  cell  at  Kil- 
bourne  down  to  Tyburn,  or  rather  Twa-burne;  so 
called  because  two  different  bournes,  or  streams, 
met  in  the  neighbourhood  where  the  Marble  Arch 
now  stands. 

The  name  of  Bayswater  has  undergone  consider- 
able change  from  the  original.  Not  so  very  long 
ago  the  whole  of  this  district  was  known  as  Bays- 
water  Fields ;  during  the  last  century  it  bore  the 
name  of  "  Bear's  Watering,"  and  previously  that  of 
JBaynard's  Watering.  By  the  last  was  meant  the 
land  dotted  with  pools  held  from  the  Manor  of 
Westminster,  by  Ralph  Baynard,  the  favourite  of 
William  the  Conqueror,  who  resided  at  BAYNARD'S 
CASTLE,  at  Blackfriars,  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Thames.  These  pools,  together  with  the  Tyburn 
were  converted  into  what  is  now  styled  the  SER- 
PENTINE, owing  to  its  form,  in  1733.  Paddington, 


London  Districts  and  Siiburbs.  157 

originally  written  Padynton,  was  the  settlement  or 
town  of  the  Paedings,  a  branch  of  the  family  who 
originally  established  themselves  at,  and  gave  their 
name  to,  Padendene,  in  Surrey.  "Westbourne  Park 
derived  its  name  from  the  west  bourne,  or  stream, 
that  wended  its  way  from  the  hermit's  cell  at 
"  Kilbourne,"  in  the  direction  of  the  "  Baynard's 
Watering,"  and  thence,  after  passing  under  Flilham 
(or  Knights')  Bridge,  emptied  itself  into  the  Thames. 
Netting  Hill  is  a  corruption  of  Knolton  Barn  (Hill)r 
a  manor  held  by  the  De  Veres,  and  subsequently  by 
Robert  Fenroper,  an  Alderman  of  the  City,  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.  The  name  of  Shepherd's. 
Bush  once  more  puts  us  in  mind  of  the  pastoral 
character  of  the  environs  of  London  in  the  days  gone 
by.  Acton  is  an  Anglo-Saxon  name  for  "  Oak 
town,"  signifying  the  town  built  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
large  Oak  Forest.  Gunnersbury  denotes  the  town,, 
or  enclosed  habitation,  named  after  Gunylda,  the 
niece  of  King  Canute,  who  resided  here  during  the 
Danish  occupation  of  England.  Kew  was  anciently 
described  in  documents  as  Kay-hoo,  meaning  a  quay 
situated  on  a  hoo,  or  hoe,  the  Scandinavian  for  a  spit 
of  land.  Brentford  signifies  the  ford  over  the 
Brent,  a  tributary  of  the  Thames  that  takes  its  rise 
near  Hendon.  Isleworth  means  a  manor  beside 
the  water.  The  first  portion  of  the  word  comes  from 
the  Celtic,  Isis,  water;  the  second  is  Anglo-Saxon 
for  a  manor.  Staines  owes  its  name  to  the  boundary 
stone  (Saxon  stane,  a  stone)  by  the  river,  which  dis- 
plays the  words  "  God  preserve  the  City  of  London."" 


158  Names :   and  their  Meaning. 

The  date  of  this  stone  is  1280.  Kingston  was 
designated  after  the  King's  stone,  now  preserved 
within  railings  near  the  Town  Hall,  upon  which  the 
Saxon  monarchs  sat  to  be  anointed.  Shepperton 
is  Old  English  for  Shepherd's  Town,  or  the  abode  of 
shepherds.  The  name  of  Twickenham  denotes  a 
hamlet  situated  between  two  tributaries  of  the 
Thames.  Richmond  was  anciently  known  as 
Sheen,  a  Saxon  term  for  "  resplendent/'  in  allusion 
to  the  palace  erected  by  Edward  I.  When  Henry 
VII.  rebuilt  the  palace,  after  its  destruction  by  fire 
in  1479,  he  changed  the  name  of  the  village  to 
Richmond,  in  perpetuation  of  his  title  of  Earl  of 
Richmond  prior  to  ascending  the  throne.  This 
king  died  here  in  1509. 

Chiswick  is  a  corruption  of  "  Cheoselwick," 
derived  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  ceosel,  sand,  gravel, 
and  the  Teutonic  wick,  a  reach,  from  the  root 
waes,  a  moist  meadow.  Hammersmith  was  ori- 
ginally Hammer  snieide,  a  Saxon  village  distinguished 
for  the  number  of  its  smithies.  The  forename, 
Hammer,  is  Scandinavian  for  a  village  or  small  town. 
.Kensington  derived  its  name,  or  rather  that  of 
Kynsington,  the  Saxon  for  King's  meadow,  with  the 
Old  English  suffix  ton,  a  town,  from  a  royal  residence 
erected  here  in  very  early  times.  Brompton  was 
so  called  from  the  broom-trees  that  grew  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  this  healthy  ton  or  town.  Chelsea 
is  described  in  old  documents  as  "  Chevelsey," 
meaning  shingle  island.  The  first  portion  of  the 
word  claims  the  same  etymology  as  Chiswick,  viz., 


London  Districts  and  Suburbs.  159 

ceosel,  sand,  gravel ;  while  the  suffix  ey,  or  ea,  is  also 
Anglo-Saxon,  derived  from  oe,  the  Scandinavian  for 
running  water.  These  terminals  always  indicate 
water,  and  not  unfrequently  an  i-sland,  properly  so 
called  ;  as,  for  example,  Anglesey,  the  Isle  of  the 
Angles.  In  the  case  of  Hackney  the  terminal  is 
expressive  of  a  well-watered  pasture,  as  has  already 
been  seen ;  whereas  in  the  cases  of  Chelsea  and 
Battersea  the  allusion  is  not  merely  to  their 
proximity  to  the  Thames,  but  to  their  partial  isola- 
tion in  ancient  times  from  the  adjacent  land  on 
account  of  the  creeks  and  inlets  of  the  river. 
Battersea,  we  may  here  remark,  is  described  in 
Domesday  Book  as  "  the  Manor  of  Patricesy  "  ;  but 
even  this  early  name  was  a  corruption  of  Petersey, 
or  St.  Peter's-ey,  because  it  had  belonged  to  the 
Abbey  of  St.  Peter's,  Westminster,  from  time  out  of 
mind.  To  return :  Walham  Green  denotes  a 
settlement  of  foreigners ;  wal,  being  a  modification  of 
•wahl,  the  Celtic  for  foreign,  and  ham,  the  Old  English 
for  a  home.  Fulham  was  formerly  written  "  Fullen- 
hame,"  the  Anglo-Saxon  for  a  habitation  of  water- 
fowl. Parson's  Green  received  its  name  from  the 
parsonage  in  connection  with  Fulham  Church  that 
stood  here  previous  to  1740.  Percy  Cross,  Fulham, 
is  a  corruption  of  "  Parson's  Cross,"  referring  to  a 
cross  on  the  roof  of  the  parsonage  on  Parson's 
Green.  Putney  was  originally  "  Puttaney,"  the 
Saxon  for  Putta's  Isle ;  whereas  Wimbledon  was 
Wibbandun,  a  Celtic  term  signifying  the  dun,  or 
hill-fort,  belonging  to  one  Wibba.  The  name  of 


160  Names:   and  their  Meaning. 

Wandsworth  denotes  a  manor  watered  by  the- 
Wandle.  Lambeth  is  a  corruption  of  "  Loamhithe," 
the  Anglo-Saxon  for  haven  of  the  loamy  soil. 
Vauxhall  is  described  in  a  document  dated  1282 
as  the  Manor  of  Faukeshall.  As,  however,  this 
manor  was  originally  held  by  Fulke  de  Breante  soon 
after  the  Conquest,  it  is  highly  probable  that  the 
designation  was  more  correctly  Fulke's  Hall,  after- 
wards corrupted  into  Faukeshall.  The  present 
spelling  of  the  name  may  be  traced  back  to  the  year 
1615,  when  the  Hall,  or  Manor  House,  was  occupied 
by  Jane  Vaux. 

Southwark  is  a  modification  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
"  Suthwerk,"  and  the  Danish  Sydrike,  literally  the 
south  fortification.  During  the  Danish  occupation 
of  England  this  was  a  very  strong  position.. 
Bermondsey  was  anciently  written  Beormundsey, 
signifying  that  the  ey,  or  strip  of  land  intersected  by 
creeks  [see  CHELSEA,  &c.],  belonged  to  Beormund, 
a  prominent  Anglo-Saxon  lord.  Horselydown  is- 
properly  Horsadown,  so  called  because  this  district 
was  originally  a  down  used  for  grazing  horses. 
Walworth  was  named  in  honour  of  Sir  William 
Walworth,  Lord  Mayor  in  1380,  who  resided  here. 
The  Borough  recalls  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants 
of  London  south  of  the  Thames  were  Burghers,  and,, 
therefore,  entitled  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
Corporation. 

Rotherhithe  is  Saxon  for  red  haven,  alluding  to 
the  colour  of  the  soil.  The  name  of  Deptford 
indicates  the  deep  ford  over  the  Ravensbourne, 


London  Districts  and  Suburbs.  161 

which  is  now    spanned   by  a  bridge.     Greenwich. 
means    the    green    town,    or,    more   precisely,    the 
verdant  settlement  beside  the  wick,  or  reach  of  the 
river    [see    CHISWICK]  ;    whereas    Woolwich    was 
originally   Hylwich,   i.e.,   hill    town.      The   Isle    of 
Dogs  is  a  corruption  of  "  Isle  of  Ducks/'  so  described 
in  ancient  documents  on  account  of  the  number  of 
wild-fowl  always  to   be  found  there.     New  Cross 
derived   its   name   from    "  The    Golden    Cross,"   a 
famous    old   coaching-house,   rebuilt   and    renamed 
"  The  New  Cross."    Lewisham  is  properly  Leawre- 
ham,  or  meadow-home.     Blackheath  is  a  corruption 
of  Bleakheath.   Eltham  was  formerly  written  "  Eald- 
ham,"  the  Anglo-Saxon  for  the  old  home  or  dwelling, 
referring   to   the   palace   occupied   by   the    English 
kings  down  to  the  time  of  James  I.     Catford  is  a 
contraction  of  Cattleford,  signifying  a  shallow  portion 
of  the  Ravensbourne  easily  forded  by  cattle.     [The 
University   town   on   the    Isis   received   its  present 
name  of  OXFORD  for  a  similar  reason.]    Beckenham 
denotes   a  home  beside  the  beck  or  brook.     Here 
again  the  Ravensbourne  comes  into  notice.     Syden- 
ham  means  the   home  or  habitation  in  the  south, 
The  names  of  Forest  Hill,  Norwood,  a  contraction 
of  Northwood,  and  Westwood  remind  us  that  the 
whole  of  this  district  was  formerly  a  large  tract  of 
wooded    land.     Dulwich   is  a  corruption  of  Dale- 
wichy  the  town  in  the  dale.     Honor  Oak  owes  its 
designation    to    the    boundary    oak,    under    whose 
umbrageous  shade  Queen  Elizabeth  is  said  to  have 
dined.      Nunhead   derived    its   name    from    "The 

ii 


1 62  Names:   and  their  Meaning. 

Nuns'  Head/'  a  place  of  holiday  resort  for 
Londoners,  dating  back  more  than  two  hundred 
years.  Peckham  was  originally  Beckham,  a 
home  distinguished  for  its  becks  or  brooks. 
Brixton  is  a  corruption  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
"  Brigestan,"  the  bridge  of  stone.  Camberwell 
derived  its  name  from  a  miraculous  well  discovered 
close  by  the  parish  church  dedicated  to  St.  Giles, 
the  patron  of  cripples.  Cam  is  Celtic  for  crooked. 
In  this  instance  the  word  applies  to  the  cripples, 
or  rather  to  their  patron  saint.  [On  the  other  hand, 
the  University  town  of  CAMBRIDGE  was  so  called 
from  the  bridge  over  the  CAM,  a  river  distinguished 
for  its  winding  course.]  Stockwell  is  in  allusion  to 
the  well  found  in  the  stoc,  or  wooded  place,  in  Anglo- 
Saxon  times.  Kennington  means  a  settlement  in 
the  King's  meadow.  One  of  the  palaces  of  Henry 
VIII.  stood  here.  Newington  denotes  the  new 
town  in  the  meadow.  Finally,  the  name  of  St. 
George's  Fields  was  derived  from  the  neighbouring 
church  of  St.  George  the  Martyr. 


BATTLES. 


r   I   "'HE  Tearless  Victory  was  the  name  given 
by  Plutarch  to  the  victory   won   by  Archi- 

JL  madus,  King  of  Sparta,  over  the  Argives  and 
Arcadians  in  the  year  367  B.C.  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  Spartan  soldier.  The  Thundering  Legion 
is  the  historical  designation  given  to  the  Roman 
legion  that  overthrew  the  Alemanni  in  the  year 
179  A.D.,  during  a  thunderstorm,  which  was  supposed 
to  have  been  sent  in  answer  to  the  prayers  offered  up 
by  the  Christians.  Not  only  did  the  storm  strike 
terror  into  the  minds  of  their  enemies,  but  it  also 
enabled  the  Romans  to  relieve  their  long-protracted 
thirst.  The  Hallelujah  Victory  received  its  name 
from  the  battle-cry  of  the  newly-baptized  Bretons, 
who  were  led  to  the  attack  by  Germanus,  Bishop  of 
Auxerre,  in  the  year  429. 

The  Battle  of  the  Standard,  fought  between  the 
English  and  the  Scots  at  Northallerton,  August  29, 
1138,  was  so  called  because  the  standard  of  the  former 
consisted  of  a  tall  crucifix  borne  upon  a  wagon.  From 
the  crucifix  itself  there  was  suspended  the  Consecrated 
Host  enclosed  in  a  pyx,  while  floating  beneath  were 
the  bannerets  of  SS.  Peter,  Wilfrid,  and  John  of 
Beverley.  The  Battle  of  the  Herrings  (Feb- 


164  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

ruary   12,  1429)   obtained  its  title  from  the  defeat 
suffered  by  the  Due  de  Bourbon  when  attempting  to 
intercept  a  convoy  of  salted  herrings  on  their  way 
to  the  English  besieging  Orleans.     The  Battle  of 
Spurs  is  the  more  familiar  designation  of  the  Battle 
of  Guinnegate,  in  which  Henry  VIII.  defeated  the 
Due  de  Longueville  (August  16,  1513),  because  the 
French  were  said  to  have  used   their    spurs  more 
than  their  swords.     This  event,  however,  must  not 
be  confounded  with  The  Battle  of  the  Spurs  of 
Gold,  which  took  place  between  the  French   and 
the  Flemish  at  Courtray,  in  Belgium,  July  n,  1302. 
In   this   engagement   the   French   were   completely 
routed,  and  the  spurs  of  upwards  of  eight  thousand 
of  the  vanquished  knights  were  left  upon  the  field* 
These  were  collected  and  preserved  as  trophies  of 
war  in  the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  de  Courtray. 

The  Battle  of  Marignano  (September  13,  1515) 
also  bears  the  name  of  The  Battle  of  the  Giants, 
owing  to  the  defeat  by  Francis  I.,  King  of  France,  of 
1,200  Swiss  Guards,  the  allies  of  the  Milanese.  The 
Battle  of  Leipsic  (October  16-18,  1813)  is  known 
as  The  Battle  of  All  the  Nations,  because,  in 
addition  to  signalizing  the  overthrow  of  Napoleon 
and  the  deliverance  of  Germany,  it  was  the  champion 
battle  of  the  nations  of  Europe. 


NOTABLE  DAYS  AND  FESTIVALS 

THAT  New  Year's  Day  is  the  first  day  of 
the    recurring    year    goes    without    saying. 
Previous  to  1752,  when  the  year  commenced 
on  the  25th  of  March,  its  four  recognized  quarters 
were  Whitsuntide,  Lammastide,  Martinmastide,  and 
Candlemastide  ;  at  the  present  time  they  are  Lady 
Day,  Midsummer,  Michaelmas,  and  Christmas.    Let 
us  at  once  consider  the  meaning  of  these  terms. 

Whitsuntide  is  the  season  ushered  in  by  Whit 
Sunday,  a  corruption  of  White  Sunday,  because, 
during  the  primitive  ages  of  the  Church,  all  newly- 
baptized  persons  were  required  to  attend  Mass  in 
white  garments  on  this  day.  As  every  one  knows, 
Whit  Sunday  commemorates  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  upon  the  Apostles  in  the  form  of  fiery  tongues. 
It  is  highly  probable,  therefore,  that  the  true  mean- 
ing of  Whit,  or  White,  Sunday  remains  to  be  sought 
in  connection  with  the  wisdom  symbolized  by  these 
fiery  tongues.  After  all,  the  original  spelling  of  this 
festival-name  may  have  been  Witan  Sunday,  the 
Anglo-Saxon  for  Wisdom  Sunday ;  just  as  the  earliest 
English  parliaments  were  styled  WITANAGEMOTES, 
or  "  meetings  of  the  wise  men."  But  to  proceed. 
Lammastide  literally  signified  the  season  of  First 


1 66  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Fruits ;  since  on  Lammas  Day,  a  term  compounded 
out  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  hlaf,  a  loaf,  and  masse,  a 
feast,  (Aug.  ist),  it  was  formerly  the  custom  to  offer 
bread  made  of  new  wheat  in  the  churches.  Martin- 
mas Day  (Nov.  4th),  latterly  corrupted  into  Martle- 
mas  Day,  denotes  the  Feast  of  St.  Martin,  Bishop 
of  Tours  in  the  fourth  century.  Candlemas  Day, 
or  the  Feast  of  the  Purification  (Feb.  2nd), 
which  commemorates  the  presentation  of  the  Infant 
in  the  Temple  in  accordance  with  the  Jewish  Law 
instituted  1490  B.C.,  because  the  early  Christians 
walked  in  procession  to  Mass  with  lighted  candles  in 
their  hands  on  this  day.  This  religious  observance 
was  introduced  by  Pope  Gelasius  in  the  fifth  century, 
as  a  literal  bearing  out  of  the  words  spoken  by  Holy 
Simeon  when  he  took  the  child  Jesus  in  his  arms : 
'  Lord,  now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace, 
according  to  Thy  word  ;  For  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy 
salvation,  which  Thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face 
of  all  people :  A  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
glory  of  Thy  people  Israel  "  (Luke  ii.  29-32).  It  is 
still  the  practice  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to 
make  offerings  of  candles  for  the  use  of  the  altar  on 
this  day.  Lady  Day  (Mar.  25th)  is  but  another 
name  for  the  Feast  of  the  Annunciation,  or  the 
day  updn  which  "the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto 
Mary/'  and  announced  that  she  was  to  become  the 
Mother  of  the  Son  of  God.  Midsummer  Day  (June 
24th)  expresses  the  midday  of  the  year;  while  Michael- 
mas Day  (Sept.  2gth)  is  the  Feast  of  St.  Michael, 
the  patron  saint  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  As 


Notable  Days  and  Festivals.  167 

the  latter  feast  falls  upon  the  first  day  of  autumn, 
the  hiring  of  labourers  and  domestics  in  the  rural 
districts  takes  place  at  this  time.  Christmas 
Day  is,  to  put  it  literally,  the  Feast  Day  of  Christ, 
being  the  anniversary  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Blessed 
Redeemer. 

Innocents'  Day,  formerly  known  as  Childermas 
Day  (Dec.  28th),  commemorates  the  Massacre  of 
the  Innocents  by  Herod.  Twelfth  Day  (Jan.  6th), 
signifying  the  twelfth  day  after  Christmas  Day,  bears 
the  ecclesiastical  name  of  the  Epiphany,  from  the 
Greek  Epiphaneia,  a  showing  or  appearance,  because 
on  this  day  the  Infant  manifested  Himself  to  the 
Three  Wise  Men  from  the  East  who  came  to  adore 
Him.  In  olden  times  the  Feast  of  the  Epiphany 
was  kept  with  great  solemnity  in  the  churches  during 
the  day,  followed  by  a  festival  of  a  more  social 
character  in  the  evening,  thus  accounting  for  the 
old-fashioned  appellation  of  Twelfth  Night,  The 
7th  of  January  was  formerly  called  Distaff's  Day, 
because  the  Christmas  festivities  having  come 
to  an  end  with  Twelfth  Night,  the  women  were 
expected  to  return  to  their  distaffs  and  other  regular 
occupations  on  this  day.  Another  name  for  the 
same  occasion  was  Rock  Day,,  rock  being  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  term  for  a  distaff.  Similarly,  the  first  Monday 
after  the  Epiphany  bore  the  designation  of  Plough 
Monday,  on  account  of  the  men  returning  to  the 
plough  and  the  ordinary  labours  of  the  field  on  this 
day.  Handsel  Monday,  the  first  Monday  in  the 
New  Year,  was  so  called  by  the  Anglo-Saxons 


1 68  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 


'6' 


because  then  it  was  that  handsels,  or  presents,  were 
bestowed  upon  domestics  and  children.  To  the 
best  of  our  knowledge  the  custom  no  longer 
exists  in  any  portion  of  this  country;  or  perhaps 
it  may  be  more  correct  to  say  that  its  obser- 
vance has  been  universally  transferred  to  Boxing 
Day  (Dec.  26th),  originally  so  styled  from  the 
opening  of  the  various  alms-boxes  in  the  churches, 
and  the  distribution  of  their  contents,  which  bore 
the  name  of  a  Christmas  Dole,  to  the  poor  by  the 
clergy  on  this  day.  Moreover,  since  heads  of  families 
usually  gave  their  children  and  domestics  small  sums 
of  money  to  drop  into  the  boxes  for  the  latter  purpose 
on  Christmas  morning,  we  here  trace  the  origin  of 
the  term  Christmas  Box,  which  nowadays  applies 
to  a  present  received  by  servants  and  others  during 
the  Christmas  season. 

The  word  Lent  is  a  contraction  of  the  Old  English 
lenten,  and  the  Anglo-Saxon  lencten,  the  spring,  both 
derived  from  lencgan,  to  lengthen,  because  the  long 
fast  of  the  Christian  Church  occurs  when  the  days 
begin  to  lengthen.  Shrove  Tuesday,  also  known 
as  Pancake  Tuesday,  derived  its  name  from  the 
shriving  or  confessing  imposed  upon  the  faithful  on 
this  day.  The  custom  of  eating  pancakes  originated 
from  the  fact  that  this  species  of  food  afforded  a  stay 
to  the  appetite  during  the  long  hours  of  waiting  in 
church  to  be  shrived.  The  distribution  of  ashes  on 
Ash  Wednesday  commemorates  the  passage  in 
the  third  chapter  of  Genesis,  where  the  Lord  curses 
Adam  in  these  words  :  "  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face 


Notable  Days  and  Festivals.  169 

thou  shalt  eat  bread  till  thou  return  to  the  ground  ; 
for  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  thou  shalt  return." 
Passion  Sunday,  which  precedes  Palm  Sunday,  is 
devoted  to  a  general  commemoration  of  the  subject 
of  Christ's  Passion.  Palm  Sunday  owes  its  name 
to  the  distribution  of  palms  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  in  allusion  to  the  palms  borne  by  the 
populace  who  accompanied  the  Redeemer  into 
Jerusalem  shortly  before  His  betrayal  by  Judas.  The 
week  following  Palm  Sunday  is  called  Passion 
Week,  and  also  Holy  Week,  because  it  contains 
the  days  upon  which  the  incidents  of  Christ's  Passion 
are  particularly  commemorated.  Maunday  Thurs- 
day is  the  first,  so  styled  on  account  of  the  maund, 
the  Saxon  term  for  an  alms-basket,  formerly  presented 
to  the  poor  by  the  Lord  (or  rather  by  the  Lady,  "  the 
loaf-giver ")  of  the  Manor ;  while  it  was  also  the 
custom  for  kings  and  princes  to  furnish  their 
almoners  with  an  allowance  sufficient  for  the  pro- 
vision of  the  general  poor  throughout  the  year  on 
this  day.  The  ecclesiastical  designation  of  this  day 
is  Holy  Thursday,  in  commemoration  of  the  Agony 
and  Bloody  Sweat  of  the  Saviour  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane.  Good  Friday,  the  anniversary  of  the 
Crucifixion,  was  originally  known  as  "  God's  Friday." 
The  Anglo-Saxons  usually  called  this  day  Long 
Friday,  in  consequence  of  the  length  of  the  Church 
service.  Holy  Saturday  is  the  day  upon  which 
the  Church  commemorates  the  Burial  of  Christ. 

The   word   Easter   bears   in   itself  no    Christian 
significance   whatever,    having    been    derived    from 


170  Names :   and  their  Meaning. 

E osier,  the  goddess  of  light,  or  spring,  in  whose 
honour  a  festival  was  anciently  held  in  the  month 
of  April.  The  Jewish  festival  corresponding  to  our 
Easter  is  called  the  Passover,  in  commemoration 
of  the  Destroying  Angel  having  passed  over  the 
houses  of  the  Israelites  whose  door-posts  were 
marked  with  the  blood  of  a  lamb  killed  the  previous 
night  in  accordance  with  the  Divine  command,  when 
He  smote  the  firstborn  of  the  Egyptians  in  the  year 
1491  B.C.  Returning  to  the  Christian  Church,  the 
Sunday  after  Easter  is  called  Low  Sunday,  because 
it  stands  at  the  bottom  of  the  Lenten  Calendar; 
being  the  last  day  upon  which  Roman  Catholics  may 
fulfil  their  Easter  obligation  of  receiving  the  Holy 
Communion.  Sexagesima  Sunday,,  ftuinqua- 
gesima  Sunday,  and  Quadragesima  Sunday 
are  situated  in  the  Calendar  respectively  sixty,  fifty, 
and  forty  days  before  Easter ;  the  terms  expressing 
the  Latin  for  those  round  numbers. 

The  Feast  of  Whitsuntide,  which  we  have  already 
discussed,  also  bears  the  name  of  Pentecost,  from 
the  Greek  peniekosie,  the  fiftieth  day,  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  gift  of  the  Law  to  the  Israelites  fifty  days 
after  their  deliverance  out  of  Egypt.  Trinity 
Sunday,  so  called  from  the  Latin  trinitas,  three, 
is  the  Festival  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  i.e.,  the  unity 
of  the  three  persons,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  under  one  Godhead.  Corpus  Christ! 
expresses  the  Latin  for  the  Body  of  Christ,  especially 
alluding  to  the  Last  Supper.  As  the  Church  con- 
sidered it  out  of  keeping  with  the  solemnity  peculiar 


Notable  Days  and  Festivals.  171 

to  Holy  Week,  the  celebration  of  this  High  Festival 
has  been  transferred  to  the  Thursday  after  Trinity 
Sunday.  The  Sunday  preceding  Ascension  Day  is 
called  Rogation  Sunday  because  it  ushers  in  the 
three  Rogation  Days,  or  days  of  preparation,  con- 
formably to  the  Latin  rogare,  to  beseech,  for  the 
Feast  of  the  Ascension.  We  may  conveniently  add 
here  that  Ember  Days  are  those  days  of  especial 
fasting  and  prayers  that  occur  in  each  of  the  four 
seasons  of  the  year,  viz.,  the  Wednesday,  Thursday, 
and  Saturday  after  the  first  Sunday  in  Lent,  and  the 
corresponding  three  days  after  the  Feast  of  Whit- 
suntide, the  i4th  of  September,  and  the  I3th  of 
December.  The  weeks  in  which  these  days  occur 
are  styled  Ember  Weeks ;  the  allusion  to  embers 
(Anglo-Saxon,  amyrie,  hot  ashes)  being  commemora- 
tive of  the  ancient  custom  of  doing  penance  by  the 
wearing  of  sackcloth  and  ashes. 

On  Ascension  Day  the  Church  celebrates  the 
Ascension  of  our  Saviour ;  while  the  Feast  of  the 
Assumption  similarly  reminds  Roman  Catholics  of 
the  consummation  of  the  Virgin's  mission  upon  earth 
by  being  assumed  into  Heaven.  Holy  Cross  Day, 
Holy  Rood  Day,  and  the  Feast  of  the  Exalta- 
tion of  the  Cross  are  one  and  the  same,  the  term 
Rood  being  Old  English,  derived  from  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  rod,  for  cross.  This  festival,  which  occurs  on 
the  I4th  of  September,  celebrates  the  restoration  of 
the  Holy  Cross  of  Calvary  to  Jerusalem  in  the  year 
628.  All  Saints'  Day  (Nov.  ist),  is  the  day  dedi- 
cated to  those  whose  sanctification  during  life  merited 


172  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

their  canonization  by  the  Church  after  death  ;  while 
All  Souls'  Day  (Nov.  2nd)  is  the  day  set  apart  for 
special  prayers,  having  for  their  object  the  liberation 
of  the  suffering  souls  in  Purgatory.  The  older  desig- 
nation of  the  first-named  was  Allhallowes  Day,  in 
accordance  with  the  Anglo-Saxon  word  haligan,  holy. 
Allhallowe'en  denoted  the  evening  before,  generally 
attended  with  sundry  amusements  in  the  social  circle; 
conspicuous  among  which  was  the  cracking  of  nuts 
in  large  quantities  in  the  fire,  whence  it  received  the 
name  of  Cracknut  Night. 

St.  Valentine's  Day  (Feb.  i4th)  is  sacred  to  the 
memory  of  Bishop  Valentine,  a  Christian  martyr 
beheaded  at  Rome  on  this  day  in  the  year  278.  The 
custom  among  young  people  of  sending  poetical 
souvenirs  to  their  sweethearts  on  the  birthday  of  St. 
Valentine  originated  from  the  old  notion  that  birds 
commenced  to  couple  on  this  day :  hence,  a  sweet- 
heart chosen  on  the  I4th  of  February  anciently  bore 
the  name  of  a  VALENTINE.  Nowadays,  alas !  the 
paper  VALENTINES  are  all  that  remain  to  remind  us 
of  the  fact.  St.  Swithin's  Day  (July  isth)  per- 
petuates the  memory  of  St.  Swithin,  the  preceptor  of 
King  Ethelwulf  and  Bishop  of  Winchester,  who 
died  July  2,  862.  The  vulgar  belief  that  if  it  rains 
on  this  day  it  will  continue  to  rain  for  forty  successive 
days  is  attributed  to  the  tradition  that  when,  despite 
the  saint's  dying  request  to  be  buried  in  the  church- 
yard, the  clergy  took  steps  to  disinter  his  body  in 
order  to  remove  it  within  the  cathedral,  a  heavy 
downpour  of  rain  necessitated  a  postponement  of 


Notable  Days  and  Festivals.  173 

their  efforts  on  thirty-nine  successive  days,  where- 
upon, after  the  fortieth  attempt,  they  determined  to 
allow  the  saint  to  remain  where  he  lay.  St.  David's 
Day  (Mar.  ist)  commemorates  the  victory  won  by 
the  Welsh  over  the  Saxons  on  the  birthday  of  their 
Archbishop  (born  490,  died  554),  in  the  year  540.  It 
was  in  consequence  of  the  Archbishop  having  ordered 
them  on  this  occasion  to  place  a  leek  in  their  caps,  so- 
as  to  distinguish  one  another  from  the  invaders,  that 
the  Welsh  afterwards  adopted  the  leek  as  their 
national  emblem  in  his  honour.  Comb's  Mass, 
which  in  the  north  of  Scotland,  and  Caithness  more 
particularly,  takes  the  place  of  our  Whitsuntide,  is  - 
the  colloquial  term  for  the  Feast  of  St.  Columba, 
Abbot  of  lona  (born  521,  died  597). 

Primrose  Day  (April  igth)  is  the  anniversary  of 
the  death  of  Lord  Beaconsfield  (born  1804,  died  1881). 
The  abundant  display  of  primroses  on  this  day,  par-  - 
ticularly  on  the  part  of  the  members  of  the  Primrose 
League,  established  in  1884  in  his  honour,  originated 
in  the  Queen's  primrose  wreath  sent  to  the  funeral  of 
the  great  statesman,  thus  inscribed — "  His  favourite 
flower."  The  custom  of  displaying  a  sprig  of  oak  on 
Royal  Oak  Day  (May  29th)  perpetuates  the  manner 
in  which  the  Royalists  welcomed  the  return  to  Eng- 
land of  Charles  II.  on  his  birthday,  May  29,  1651, 
in  allusion  to  his  concealment  in  the  oak  at  Boscobel, 
after  the  Battle  of  Worcester,  on  the  3rd  of  Septem- 
ber previous.  Guy  Fawkes'  Day  keeps  alive  the 
incident  of  the  Gunpowder  Plot,  by  the  timely  dis- 
covery of  which,  November  5,  1605,  the  wholesale 


174  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

destruction  of  King  James's  Parliament  was  averted. 
The  name  of  the  chief  conspirator  was  not  Guy,  but 
Guido  Fawkes;  his  execution  took  place  January  13, 
1606. 

Arbor  Day  is  an  expression  scarcely  understood 
in  this  country,  except,  perhaps,  at  Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne,  where  the  Transatlantic  ceremony  of  planting 
trees,  shrubs,  and  flowers  within  the  school  precincts, 
was  publicly  performed  for  the  first  time  by  the  Mayor, 
June  n,  1888.  This  annual  observance  prevails  not 
only  throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada,  but 
also  in  certain  portions  of  British  Columbia,  where 
the  trees  have  to  be  coaxed  into  growing.  Fore- 
fathers' Day  (Dec.  20th)  is  kept  as  a  high  holiday 
in  New  England,  commemorative  of  the  landing  of 
the  Pilgrim  Fathers  at  New  Plymouth  in  the  year 
1620.  Independence  Day  (July  4th),  perpetuates 
the  memory  of  the  American  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, 1776;  and  Evacuation  Day  (Nov.  25th), 
the  date  of  the  evacuation  of  New  York  City  by  the 
British  army,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  American 
War  of  Independence,  1783. 

The  Sunday  in  Mid-Lent  when  the  Pope  blesses 
the  Golden  Rose,  and  children  arid  domestics  out  at 
service  visit  their  mothers  to  feast  upon  MOTHERING 
CAKES,  really  owes  its  name  of  Mothering  Sunday 
to  the  ancient  custom  of  making  offerings  to  "  Mother 
Church  "  on  the  afternoon  of  this  day.  St,  Grouse's 
Day  is  a  popular  nickname  given  to  the  I2th  of 
August  (Grouse  Day),  when  grouse  shooting 
commences;  and  St.  Partridge's  Day,  to  the 


Notable  Days  and  Festivals.  175 

ist  of  September  (Partridge  Day),  which 
opens  the  season  for  partridge  shooting ;  while 
Sprat  Day  (Nov.  gth)  is  the  first  day  for  selling 
sprats  in  London.  The  expression  Red  Letter 
Day,  signifying  a  past  event  generally  referred  to 
with  pleasure,  found  its  origin  in  the  old  almanacks, 
where  the  Festivals  and  Saints'  Days  were  printed 
in  red  ink  and  the  rest  in  black.  This  arrangement 
still  obtains  in  Roman  Catholic  countries. 

Holiday  is  a  corruption  of  Holy  Day,  or  a  day 
originally  set  apart  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
for  the  celebration  of  some  feast  in  commemoration 
of  an  important  event,  or  in  honour  of  a  par- 
ticular saint.  The  word  Almanac,  also  written 
Almanack,  is  derived  from  the  Arabic  al  nianah, 
to  count ;  whereas  Calendar  is  a  contraction  of  the 
Latin  calendarium,  an  account-book. 


TEXTILES,    EMBROIDERIES,     AND 
LACE. 

SEVERAL  of  our  textile  fabrics  are  indebted  for 
their  names  to  the  places  where  they  were 
first  manufactured.  As  examples :  Damask 
Linens  and  Silks  originally  came  from  Damascus  ; 
Muslin  from  Moosul,  in  Mesopotamia ;  Nankeen 
-4  from  Nankin,  in  China;  Calico  from  Calicut,  on 
the  Malabar  Coast ;  Cashmere  from  the  valley  of 
Cashmere,  in  India;  Dimity  from  Damietta,  in 
Egypt ;  Valence  from  Valencia,  in  Spain ;  and 
Holland  from  the  Netherlands.  Cambric  was 
first  made  at  Cambray ;  Shalloon  at  Chalons  ;  and 
Tarlatan  at  Tarare :  each  of  these  towns  being 
situated  in  France.  Worsted  formerly  comprised 
the  staple  industry  of  a  town  of  that  name  in 
Norfolk ;  Cobourg  is  brought  from  Cobourg,  in 
Germany ;  while  Angola  comes  from  the  Por- 
tuguese territory  so  called  on  the  West  Coast  of 
Africa.  The  coarse  woollen  cloth  known  as  Frieze 
was  originally  imported  from  Friesland. 

The  name  of  Cotton  is  a  modification  of  the 
Arabic  qoton ;  Silk  is  derived  from  the  Latin 
serious,  soft;  and  Satin  from  the  Italian  seta,  a 
species  of  silk  distinguished  for  its  gloss  and  close 


Textiles,  Embroideries,  and  Lace.  177 

texture.  Variegated  silk  or  other  stuff  bears  the 
name  of  Brocade  in  accordance  with  the  Italian 
verb  broccare,  to  prick,  to  stitch,  to  figure ;  Damas- 
sin  is  a  damask  cloth  interwoven  with  flowers,  or 
silver,  or  gold ;  Sarsanet  is  a  fine  silk,  originally 
made  by  the  Saracens  ;  Mohair  is  properly  Moor- 
hair,  or  the  hair  of  the  Angola  goat  introduced  into 
Spain  by  the  Moors;  whereas  Moire  Antique  is 
the  French  description  of  a  watered  silk  worked  up 
in  the  manner  of  that  worn  in  the  olden  time. 
Chintz  is  a  Persian  word  signifying  spotted  or 
stained  ;  Taffety,  or  Taffeta,  is  a  modification  of 
the  Persian  tdftah,  derived  from  taftan,  to  spin;  Linen 
is  an  Anglo-Saxon  rendering  of  the  Latin  linum, 
flax ;  and  Lawn  is  simply  fine  linen  bleached  upon 
a  lawn  instead  of  the  customary  drying-ground. 
Pompadour  received  its  name  from  Madame  le 
Pompadour,  the  mistress  of  Louis  XV.  of  France 
(born  1721,  died  1764),  who  was  the  first  to  introduce 
it. 

Swansdown  is,  of  course,  made  from  the  down 
of  swans ;  Moleskin  is  not  the  skin  of  the  mole, 
but  a  strong  cotton  fabric  or  fustain  having  a  smooth 
surface  like  the  mole-skin  ;  Merino  is  manufactured 
from  the  wool  of  the  Merino  sheep ;  and  Alpaca 
from  that  of  the  alpaca,  a  species  of  llama  found  in 
Peru.  Kersey  is  a  corruption  of  Jersey,  indicative 
of  the  place  where  this  favourite  woollen  material 
was  first  produced.  The  dyed  cotton  stuff  known 
as  Gingham,  out  of  which  umbrellas  were  formerly 
made — hence  the  slang  term  for  those  articles — is 

12 


178  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

so  called  after  the  native  Javanese  name  pronounced 
ginggang.  We  may  also  conveniently  add  here  that 
Blankets  received  their  designation  from  Thomas 
Blanket,  who  first  made  them  at  Bristol  as  long  ago 
as  the  year  1340. 

The  name  of  Velvet  traces  its  origin  from  the 
Latin  villus,  shaggy  hair ;  and  Plush  from  pilus,  a 
hair.  Velveteen  is  a  cotton  velvet  or  a  cloth  in 
imitation  of  velvet.  Fustian,  derived  from  the 
Spanish  fustan,  is  a  generic  term  for  the  twilled 
cotton  stuffs  of  which  velvet,  corduroy,  &c.,  are  the 
chief.  Grogram  is  a  corruption  of  the  French 
gros-grain,  meaning  coarse-grained  ;  whereas  Cordu- 
roy  is  properly  Cord  du  roy,  King's  Cord,  so  called 
because,  owing  to  its  ribbed  or  corded  surface,  it 
was  at  one  time  considered  superior  to  any  other 
kind  of  cloth  intended  for  masculine  wear.  Pina- 
€loth,  a  material  much  used  for  ladies'  dresses, 
is  manufactured  from  the  fibres  of  the  pine-apple 
leaf ;  just  as  Grass-doth  is  extensively  worked  up 
into  light  jackets  for  Indian  wear  from  the  Grass 
Cloth  plant  which  abounds  in  China,  Assam,  and 
Sumatra.  T-cloth  comprises  a  special  kind  of 
cloth  expressly  manufactured  in  this  country  for 
exportation  to  India,  and  distinguished  by  a  T 
marked  upon  it ;  while  Broadcloth  simply  bears 
its  name  on  account  of  its  unusual  width.  The 
name  of  Twill  is  a  modification  of  the  German 
Zwillich,  signifying  trellis-work,  and  founded  upon 
twillen,  to  separate  in  two,  since  this  cloth  presents 
the  appearance  of  diagonal  lines  or  ribs  upon  its 


Textiles,  Embroideries,  and  Lace.  179 

surface.  Tweed  is  a  cloth  made  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  river  Tweed  ;  but  it  did  not  always  bear 
this  name.  The  cloth  is  really  twill,  and  the  altered 
designation  arose  out  of  the  word  being  blotted  in  an 
invoice  sent  to  James  Locke,  of  London,  who,  con- 
ceiving it  to  look  like  "  Tweed,"  suggested  that  it 
might  as  well  stand  for  the  name  of  the  cloth  as 
any  other.  Plaid  owes  its  name  to  the  Gaelic 
peallaid,  a  sheepskin  out  of  which  the  over- 
garments of  the  Highlanders  were  originally  made. 
Check  is  but  another  name  for  Plaid,  meaning 
checkered,  i.e.,  marked  with  variegated  or  crossed 
lines ;  as,  for  example,  a  draught-board,  of  which  the 
counters  are,  on  account  of  their  cross  movements, 
called  CHECKERS  or  CHEQUERS. 

The  word  Embroidery  is  a  modern  substantive 
evolved  out  of  the  old  verb  "  Embordering,"  by 
which  was  meant  the  adornment  of  any  material 
with  a  border.  Tapestry  is  derived,  through  the 
French  tapisserie,  from  the  Latin  tapes,  a  carpet. 
The  celebrated  Bayeaux  Tapestry,  supposed  to 
have  been  the  work  of  Matilda,  queen  of  William 
the  Conqueror,  and  her  maidens,  took  its  name  from 
the  Norman  town  where  it  was  discovered  in  1728. 
Gobelin  Tapestry  preserves  the  memory  of  the 
Brothers  Gobelin,  the  great  French  dyers  (flourished 
1470)  whose  house  in  Paris  was  acquired  in  1662 
by  Louis  XIV.  for  the  production  of  tapestry  and 
other  works  of  ornamental  design  suitable  for  the 
adornment  of  palaces  under  the  direction  of  M. 
Colbert.  The  more  ancient  name  for  Tapestry  was 


180  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

that  of  Arras,  in  allusion  to  the  town  situated  in 
the  French  Netherlands  whence  it  chiefly  came. 

Having  regard  to  Lace,  it  will  suffice  to  observe 
that  Lisle,  Chantilly,  Brussells,  Honiton,  &c., 
severally  identify  the  Lace  with  the  local  centres 
where  its  manufacture  is  principally  carried  on ; 
that  Valenciennes  is  made  at  Valenciennes,  in 
France  ;  and  that  Colbertine  derives  its  name  from 
M.  Colbert,  the  superintendent  of  the  French  Royal 
Lace  Factories  established  by  Louis  XIV.  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  Lace  is  styled  Point-lace 
when  it  is  worked  with  the  point  of  a  needle ;  and 
Pillow-lace  when  produced  by  twisted  threads 
around  a  series  of  pins  arranged  on  a  cushion* 
The  latter,  which  has  so  greatly  superseded  the 
more  costly  point-lace,  is  said  to  have  been  the 
invention  of  Barbara  Uttmann,  of  St.  Annaberg,  in 
the  year  1561.  The  word  Lace  itself  comes  from 
the  Latin  laques,  a  noose  or  snare.  Tulle,  a  species 
of  network  or  lace,  is  indebted  for  its  designation 
to  the  French  town  of  that  name  where  it  was  first 
made. 


LITERARY  PSEUDONYMS. 

SO  far  from  being  chosen  at  random  these  are 
frequently  the  result  of  much  premeditation. 
Voltaire  (born  1694,  died  1778),  whose  proper 
name  was  Arovet,  composed  out  of  this  and  the 
initials  L.  I.  (le  jeune)  the  anagram  by  which  all  his 
writings  are  identified.  Again,  Barry  Cornwall  is 
an  imperfect  anagram  founded  upon  Bryan  Waller 
Procter  (born  1790,  died  1874),  the  poet's  real 
name;  whereas  Yendys,  the  signature  of  Sydney 
Dobell  (born  1824,  died  1874),  was  merely  the 
Christian  name  reversed.  To  cite  an  instance  of 
another  class :  Charles  James  Appleby,  of  Denbigh- 
shire, author  of  "  The  Chase,  the  Turf,  and  the 
Road,"  and  a  regular  contributor  to  The  Quarterly 
Review  could  scarcely  have  hit  upon  a  more  fitting 
pseudonym  than  that  of  Nimrod,  who  "was  a 
mighty  hunter  before  the  Lord,"  alluded  to  in 
Genesis  x.  9.  Such  a  choice  will  be  the  better 
understood,  perhaps,  when  it  is  mentioned  that  out 
of  regard  for  the  sporting  tastes  of  his  esteemed 
contributor,  Mr.  Pittman,  the  proprietor  of  the 
Quarterly  kept  a  stud  of  hunters  for  his  especial 
use.  Equally  appropriate  was  the  pseudonym 
Zadkiel,  denoting  the  angel  of  the  planet  Jupiter, 


182  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 


-to  • 


adopted  by  Lieutenant  Richard  James  Morrison, 
author  of  "  The  Prophetic  Almanack,"  which  still 
survives  as  an  annual  publication. 

Washington  Irving  selected  the  nom  de  plume  of 
Knickerbocker  for  his  "  History  of  New  York,"  in 
allusion  to  the  wide  breeches  worn  by  the  original 
settlers  of  that  city.  The  true  account  of  how 
Charles  Lamb  (born  1775,  died  1834)  adopted  the 
name  of  Elia  for  his  "Essays"  is  as  follows: — 
His  first  contribution  to  the  "  London  Magazine  " 
being  a  description  of  the  Old  South  Sea  House,  in 
which  he  had  spent  several  months  of  his  noviciate 
as  a  clerk,  he  at  the  very  moment  of  appending  his 
signature,  bethought  himself  of  a  gay,  light-hearted 
foreigner  who  used  to  flutter  about  there  ;  and,  as  a 
mere  matter  of  whim,  he  wrote  down  the  name  of 
that  individual  instead  of  his  own.  Boz,  the  early 
nom  de  plume  of  Charles  Dickens  (born  1812,  died 
1870),  arose  out  of  the  nickname  of  Moses  conferred 
by  him  upon  a  younger  pet  brother  in  honour  of 
Moses  Primrose  in  the  "  Vicar  of  Wakefield."  The 
other  children  of  the  family,  however,  found  it 
impossible  to  utter  a  nearer  pronunciation  to  the 
name  than  "  Bozes,"  which  presently  became 
shortened  in  "  Boz  " ;  and  the  latter  hit  the  fancy 
of  our  young  author  sufficiently  to  lead  him  to  its 
adoption  at  that  period  of  his  literary  career  when 
he  lacked  the  confidence  to  appear  before  the  world 
under  his  own  name.  Out  of  an  analagous  incident 
sprang  Ouida,  the  pseudonym  of  one  of  the  most 
widely-read  lady  novelists  of  the  present  day.  Her 


Literary  Pseudonyms.  183, 

actual  name  is  Louise  de  la  Ramee  (born  in  1840)  ; 
but  remarking  the  infantile  conversion  of  Louise 
into  "  Ouida,"  she  was  struck  by  the  novelty  of  such 
a  noin  de  plume,  and  immediately  adopted  it. 
Another  lady  novelist  of  probably  higher  attain- 
ments assumed  the  name  of  George  Sand  (born 
1804,  died  1876)  as  the  outcome  of  her  attachment 
to  a  young  student  named  Jules  Sand,  or  rather 
Sandeau,  with  whom  she  collaborated  in  the  pro- 
duction of  "  Rose  et  Blanche/'  her  first  novel.  The 
real  name  of  this  lady  was  Mdlle.  Dupin,  afterwards 
changed  by  marriage  to  Madame  Dudevant. 

It  may  be  deemed  interesting  to  learn  also  that 
Artemus  Ward  was  an  actual  name  borne  by  an 
eccentric  showman  with  whom  Charles  Farrar 
Browne,  the  American  humorist  (born  1834,  died 
1867)  often  came  into  personal  contact ;  and, 
further,  that  Samuel  Langhorne  Clemens  (born  in 
1835)  owes  his  singular  pseudonym  to  the  fact  of 
having  been  employed  in  early  life  as  a  pilot  on  one 
of  the  Mississippi  River  steamboats.  The  nautical 
phrase  for  taking  soundings,  Mark  Twain,  or,  in 
other  words,  "  mark  two  fathoms,"  suggested  the 
name  under  which  the  works  of  the  latter  have 
become  widely  popular  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic, 

Finally,  not  every  one  is  aware  that  F.  M.  Allen, 
the  pseudonym  of  Mr.  Edmund  Downey,  author  of 
"The  Voyage  of  the  Ark/'  "Through  Green  Glasses," 
and  some  other  books  of  Irish  humour,  was  his  wife's 
maiden  name. 


COUNTERFEIT  PRESENTMENTS. 

A  PORTRAIT,  so  called  from  the  Latin  pro- 
tmhere,  to  draw  forth,  is  produced  by  the 
individual  skill  of  an  artist ;  whereas  a 
Photograph,  conformably  to  the  two  Greek  words 
photos,  light,  and  graphein,  to  write,  is  obtained  by 
the  action  of  sunlight  upon  a  chemically  prepared 
•surface,  such  as  silver,  zinc,  copper,  glass,  or  paper. 
The  earliest  examples  of  portraiture  were  styled 
'Miniatures  because  they  originated  from  the  head 
•of  the  Virgin  or  of  some  well-known  saint  in- 
troduced into  the  initial  letters  of  illuminated  rubies 
ty  the  Miniatori,  a  number  of  monks  noted  for 
their  skill  in  painting  with  minium,  or  red  lead. 
The  reason  why  the  portraits  of  monarchs  are 
represented  on  coins  and  medals  in  Profile  dates 
back  to  Antigonus,  one  of  the  generals  of  Alexander 
the  Great,  who,  having  lost  one  eye,  ordered  his 
likeness  to  be  drawn  from  a  side  view.  This 
occurred  in  the  year  330  B.C.  The  term  is  a 
corruption,  by  way  of  the  French  profit,  of  the 
Latin  perfilum,  compounded  out  of  per,  through,  by, 
and  filum,  a  line,  a  thread.  A  profile  cut  out  of 


Counterfeit  Presentments.  185 

black  paper  bears  the  name  of  a  Silhouette  in 
bonour  of  Etienne  de  Silhouette,  the  French  Comp- 
troller of  Finance  under  Louis  XV.  (born  1709, 
•died  1767),  who  was  the  first  to  have  his  features 
•outlined  in  this  manner. 

The  earlier  descriptions  of  photographs  were 
respectively  styled  Talbotypes,  Daguerreotypes, 
and  Ferriertypes,  after  the  names  of  their  in- 
ventors. The  smaller-sized  photographs  at  present 
in  use  were  originally  described  as  Cartes-de-Visite 
from  the  practice  of  the  Due  de  Parma,  who,  while 
staying  at  Nice  in  the  year  1857,  had  his  photograph 
produced  on  the  back  of  his  visiting  cards.  The 
designation  Vignette,  which  expresses  the  French 
•diminutive  of  vine  or  tendril,  owes  its  origin  to  the 
vine-leaves  or  branches  that  properly  surround  the 
photographs  produced  in  this  style.  A  photograph  of 
the  larger  size  is  called  a  Cabinet  because  it  forms 
a  picture  suited  to  the  walls  of  a  cabinet  or  very 
small  room.  A  three-quarter-length  photograph  or 
portrait  is  styled  among  artists  a  Kit-Kat,  in 
.allusion  to  the  portraits  of  the  original  members 
•of  the  "  Kit-Kat  Club,"  which  were  painted  by  Sir 
Godfrey  Kneller  for  Jacob  Tonson,  the  secretary,  to 
-suit  the  dimensions  of  the  room  in  which  the  Club 
was  latterly  held  at  his  villa  at  Barn  Elms. 
Similarly,  a  canvas  measuring  28  inches  by  36 
inches  is  styled  a  Kit-Kat  Canvas  because  this 
was  the  uniform  size  of  the  famous  "  Kit-Kat  Club 
portraits."  We  may  as  well  add  here  that  the 
CLUB  derived  its  name  from  Christopher 


1 86  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Kat,  a  pastrycook  of  King  Street,  Westminster,  in 
whose  house  the  thirty  noblemen  and  gentlemen 
who  formed  themselves  into  a  Club  for  the  purpose 
of  promoting  the  Protestant  Succession  in  the  year 
1703  held  their  first  meetings. 


LONDON   INNS    AND    GARDENS. 

IN  our  article  on  TAVERN  SIGNS  we  confined  our- 
selves to  a  general  survey  of  the  subject ;  we 
now  purpose  to  consider  the  significance  of  a 
few  Inn  Signs  that  are,  or  were  once,  peculiar  to 
London.  Commencing  with  the  celebrated  Tabard, 
in  Southwark,  so  dear  to  the  memory  of  Chaucer 
and  his  Canterbury  Pilgrims,  that  sign  was  derived 
from  the  rich  tunic  or  mantle  of  the  same  name 
worn  by  military  nobles  over  their  armour  and 
emblazoned  with  heraldic  devices.  The  Tabard 
still  forms  part  of  the  costume  of  the  heralds.  La 
Belle  Sauvage,  on  Ludgate  Hill,  was,  as  is  evident 
from  a  legal  document  dated  the  thirty-first  year  of 
the  reign  of  Henry  VI.,  known  both  as  "  Savage's 
Inn"  and  "  The  Bell  and  the  Hoop.57  The  latter 
was  the  actual  sign,  representing  a  bell  within  a 
hoop,  of  the  Inn  which  was  kept  by  Isabelle 
Savage  ;  and  the  combination  of  these  two  names 
resulted  in  the  punning  title  of  "La  Belle  Sauvage/' 
The  Swan  with  Two  Necks,  in  Lad  Lane,  was 
a  corruption  of  "  The  Swan  with  Two  Nicks."  As 
most  Londoners  are  aware,  it  has  long  been  the 
custom  of  the  Vintners'  Company,  in  their  annual 
"  swan-upping"  expeditions  on  the  Thames,  to  mark 


1 88  Names:  and  their  Meaning. 

their  swans  with  a  couple  of  nicks  or  notches  in  the 
bill,  so  as  to  distinguish  them  from  the  royal  swans, 
whose  nicks  are  five  in  number,  viz.,  two  lengthways 
and  three  across  on  the  bill.  That  this  character- 
istic mark  of  the  Vintners'  Company  should  have 
been  chosen  for  a  London  Inn  Sign  is  scarcely 
extraordinary. 

The  sign  of  The  Elephant  and  Castle,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  was  adopted  from  the  crest 
of  the  Cutlers'  Company,  into  whose  trade  ivory, 
and  consequently  elephants'  tusks,  enters  very  con- 
siderably. With  regard  to  the  "  Castle,"  this  was 
in  mediaeval  times  inseparable  from  the  idea  of  an 
elephant,  owing  to  the  part  which  these  huge 
animals  anciently  took  in  the  Punic  wars.  Another 
"  Elephant  and  Castle "  exists  in  the  parish  of 
St.  Pancras,  near  King's  Cross ;  but  this  sign 
originated  from  the  discovery,  in  1714,  of  the 
skeleton  of  an  elephant  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Battle  Bridge.  A  flint-headed  spear  lay  beside  the 
remains,  and  from  this  it  is  reasonable  to  conjecture 
that  the  animal  must  have  been  killed  by  the  Britons 
who  were  led  by  Queen  Boadicea  against  the  Romans 
in  the  year  61  A.D. 

The  Horse  Shoe,  Tottenham  Court  Road,  came 
into  existence  as  a  sign  from  the  large  horse-shoes 
nailed  up  at  the  entrance  of  Messrs.  Meux's  brewery 
adjoining.  The  shoes  are  also  conspicuous  on  the 
trappings  of  the  dray-horses  belonging  to  that 
establishment ;  in  short,  they  comprise  the  trade- 
mark of  the  firm.  The  Blue  Posts,  at  the  corner 


London  Inns  and  Gardens.  189 

of  Hanway  Street,  nearly  opposite  the  "  Horse 
Shoe,"  arose  out  of  the  fancy  of  an  old  innkeeper 
to  distinguish  his  hostelry  from  all  others  by  causing 
the  chain-posts  abutting  on  the  road  to  be  painted 
blue  instead  of  white,  which  eccentricity  fully  served 
the  purpose  of  a  sign.  There  is  another  "  Blue 
Posts  "  in  Cork  Street,  Piccadilly,  and  yet  another 
in  Southampton  Buildings,  Holborn ;  but  the  first- 
named  is  the  oldest  of  the  three,  and  therefore  the 
original.  The  Black  Posts,  Bond  Street,  may 
also  be  regarded  as  a  modified  imitation  of  the 
example  set  by  the  original  "  Blue  Posts/'  The 
Three  Chairmen,  at  the  foot  of  Hay  Hill,  Berkeley 
Square,  and  The  Running  Footman,  in  Hayes* 
Mews,  close  by,  were  so  denominated  from  being 
the  resort  of  gentlemen's  servants  in  the  days  when 
SEDAN  CHAIRS  (these  chairs  were  first  made  at 
Sedan,  in  France,  which  accounts  for  their  name, 
exactly  as  BATH  CHAIRS  were  originally  introduced 
at  Bath  during  the  last  century,  when  fashionable 
invalids  flocked  to  the  West  of  England  to  drink  the 
Bath  and  Cheltenham  waters)  and  Running  Foot- 
men preceded  the  use  of  private  carnages  by  the 
wealthy. 

The  Mother  Red  Cap,  Camden  Town,  per- 
petuates the  memory  of  a  notorious  poisoner  known 
as  "  Mother  Damnable,  the  Consort  of  the  Devil," 
who  lived  at  Hungerford  Stairs  during  the  period  of 
the  Commonwealth.  The  Mother  Shipton,  Haver- 
stock  Hill,  was  built  at  the  time  when  the  prophecies 
of  Mrs.  Evan  Preece,  of  Glamorganshire,  South 


igo  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Wales,  were  in  everybody's  mouth.  This  old  woman 
was  said  to  have  had  a  son  by  the  devil,  whereupon, 
in  return  for  the  sacrifice  of  her  honour,  she  was 
accorded  the  gift  of  prophecy.  When  we  state  that 
she  correctly  predicted  the  deaths  of  Lord  Percy, 
Wolsey,  and  other  historical  personages,  the  ex- 
istence of  Mother  Shipton  in  this  country  must  be 
regarded  as  a  time-honoured  if  not  exactly  as  a 
well-founded  institution.  The  Adelaide,  Haver- 
stock  Hill,  was  named  in  honour  of  the  consort  of 
William  IV.,  and  The  York  and  Albany  after  the 
title  of  Frederick,  the  second  son  of  George  III. 

Jack  Straw's  Castle,  Highbury,  as  also  the 
celebrated  hostelry  of  the  same  name  on  Hampstead 
Heath,  was  so  called  after  Jack  Straw,  one  of  the 
leaders  in  Wat  Tyler's  insurrection,  who  pulled 
down  the  Priory  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of 
Jerusalem  at  the  former  place,  and  whose  habi- 
tation was  a  hole  formed  out  of  the  hill-side  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Inn  at  the  latter  place.  The 
Spaniards,  Highgate,  was  originally  the  private 
residence  of  the  Spanish  Ambassador  to  James  I. 
The  Whittington  Stone,  Highgate  Hill,  took  its 
sign  from  the  stone  upon  which  the  world-famous 
Dick  Whittington  sat  down  to  rest  the  while  he 
listened  to  the  bells  of  Bow  Church  pleasantly 
chiming  across  the  open  fields.  The  stone  is  still 
to  be  seen  on  the  edge  of  the  pavement  exactly 
opposite  the  public-house. 

The  sign  of  The  Thirteen  Cantons,  King  Street, 
Golden  Square,  was  adopted  in  compliment  to  the 


London  Inns  and  Gardens.  191 

thirteen  Protestant  cantons  of  Switzerland,  and  to 
the  numerous  natives  of  that  country  who  at  one 
time  took  up  their  residence  in  the  parish  of  Soho. 
During  the  last  decade  or  two  the  Swiss  population 
has  given  way  in  a  large  degree  to  French  immi- 
grants. The  North  Pole,  Wardour  Street,  dates 
back  to  the  time  when  our  national  interest  in  Arctic 
discovery  was  at  its  height ;  exactly  in  the  same 
manner  as  The  South  Australian,  Hans  Place, 
Chelsea,  was  established  in  the  year  that  first  wit- 
nessed the  colonization  of  Southern  Australia. 

The  World's  End,  in  the  King's  Road,  Chelsea, 
a  favourite  house  of  entertainment  during  the  Resto- 
ration period,  received  its  name  on  account  of  its 
distance  from  town.  The  Fulham  Bridge,  at 
Knightsbridge,  recalls  the  original  name  of  the 
structure  which  crossed  the  Westbourne  in  this 
neighbourhood  (See  KNIGHTSBRIDGE).  The  Devil, 
Fleet  Street,  received  its  name  from  its  situation, 
nearly  opposite  the  Church  of  St.  Dunstan,  and 
the  traditional  account  of  that  saint  having  seized 
the  Evil  One  by  the  nose  with  a  pair  of  hot 
pincers.  The  Three  Nuns,  Aldgate,  well  serves 
the  purpose  of  reminding  us  of  the  existence 
of  an  ancient  priory  inhabited  by  the  nuns  of 
•St.  Clare  in  this  neighbourhood  (see  MINORIES). 
The  White  Conduit  Tavern,  Islington,  occupies 
.the  site  of  the  famous  old  White  Conduit  House, 
a  popular  place  of  resort  previous  to  its  demolition  in 
1849.  This  was  the  Conduit  which  had  served  the 
Carthusian  Friars  with  water  from  ancient  times. 


ig2  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

The  prenomen  "  white  "  applied  to  the  house  and  was 
derived  from  the  appearance  of  its  exterior.  The 
Belvedere,  Pentonville  Hill,  originally  contained  a 
small  structure  on  the  roof  known  by  this  name  for 
sitting  under  and  enjoying  the  prospect  across  the 
fields.  The  term  Belvidere  is  Italian,  signifying 
"  a  fine  prospect/'  and  is  equally  applicable  to  a 
summer  arbour  and  the  flat  roof  of  a  house.  The 
Clown  Tavern,  St.  John  Street  Road,  Clerkenwell, 
owes  its  sign  to  the  fact  that  it  was  formerly  kept  by 
a  clown  engaged  at  Sadler's  Wells  Theatre,  in  its 
immediate  vicinity.  The  well-known  Hummuns's 
Hotel,  generally  alluded  to  as  Hummuns's,  Covent 
Garden,  derived  this  title  from  its  erection  on  the 
site  of  a  Hummuns,  the  Arabic  name  for  a  sweating 
bath,  kept  by  a  Mr.  Small  some  time  during  the 
seventeenth  century. 

Reference  to  the  above  Inns  and  Taverns  peculiar 
to  London  compels  us  almost  to  say  a  few  words 
concerning  those  popular  places  of  outdoor  resort 
of  which  we  have  all  read  and  heard  so  much. 
Sadler's  Wells  marks  the  position  of  an  ancient 
holy  well  whose  waters  were  famous  for  working 
extraordinary  cures.  In  the  year  1683,  after  having 
been  stopped  up  since  the  Reformation,  a  Mr.  Sadler, 
while  digging  for  gravel  in  his  garden,  discovered 
this  well,  and  thereafter  it  bore  his  name.  In  order 
to  profit  by  the  re-established  fame  of  this  well, 
Sadler  converted  his  residence  into  a  house  of  enter- 
tainment under  the  title  of  "  Sadler's  Musick 
House."  Here  were  provided  tight-rope  dancing, 


London  Inns  and  Gardens,  193 

conjuring,  tumbling,  and  a  variety  of  other  diver- 
sions, always  accompanied  by  music.  Sixty  years 
later,  probably  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Sadler,  the 
property  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Rosoman, 
who  turned  it  into  a  theatre,  but  retained  the  name 
of  the  old  proprietor.  The  present  theatre  was 
built  by  Mrs.  Bateman  in  1879.  Highbury  Barn, 
first  a  small  ale  and  cake  house,  and  afterwards  a 
place  of  public  entertainment,  including  a  theatre, 
was  so  called  from  its  occupying  the  site  of  a  barn- 
like  structure  originally  belonging  to  the  ancient 
Priory  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem, 
and  left  standing  after  the  incursion  of  Jack  Straw 
and  his  rebellious  companions  [see  ante,  JACK 
STRAW'S  CASTLE].  Vauxhall  Gardens  derived 
their  title  from  the  Hall,  or  Manor-house,  of  Jane 
Vaux,  which  they  displaced  [see  VAUXHALL]  ; 
Ranelagh  Gardens  occupied  the  site  of  Ranelagh 
House,  the  seat  of  an  Irish  nobleman  of  that  title ; 
while  Cremorne  Gardens  were  named  after  Thomas 
Dawson,  Lord  Cremorne,  whose  town  house  and 
grounds  they  covered.  Whatever  may  have  been 
the  moral  character  of  these  places,  their  removal 
has  had  the  effect  of  effacing  one  phase  of  Metro- 
politan amusement  entirely;  but  it  has  also  been 
instrumental  in  introducing  another — namely,  the 
Music-Halls.  The  first  London  music-hall  was 
"The  Canterbury,"  Westminster  Bridge  Road, 
which  grew  out  of  The  Canterbury  Arms,, 
displaying  the  arms  of  the  city  of  Canterbury  in 
the  year  1848. 

13 


SOBRIQUETS   AND    NICKNAMES. 

THE  list  of  historical  personages  whose  sobri- 
quets and  nicknames  are  even  better  known 
than  their  proper  names  is  very  large  ;  we 
tnust,  therefore,  content  ourselves   with  a  random 
selection  of  the  principal. 

Commencing  with  the  ladies  :  Ayesha  (born  610, 
died  677),  the  second  and  favourite  wife  of  Mahomet, 
was  called  The  Mother  of  Believers  because  the 
prophet  styled  himself  "The  Father  of  Believers." 
Fair  Helen  was  the  wife  of  Menataos,  King  of 
Sparta,  by  whose  guest,  Paris,  the  Trojan  prince, 
she  was  carried  off.  This  incident  was  the  imme- 
diate cause  of  the  famous  siege  of  Troy  which 
lasted  ten  years.  Fair  Rosamond  (died  1154) 
was  the  mistress  of  Henry  II.,  who  kept  her  in  a 
secluded  bower  that  could  be  approached  only  by  a 
labyrinth  or  maze  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  royal 
palace  at  Woodstock.  One  day,  however,  the  queen 
artfully  discovered  her  way  thereto  by  means  of  a 
silken  thread  attached  to  the  garment  of  the  faith- 
less husband,  after  which  she  soon  procured  the 
removal  of  her  rival  by  poison.  Joan,  the  wife  of 
Edward  the  Black  Prince,  was  styled  The  Fair 
Maid  of  Kent  (died  1385)  on  account  of  her  beauty 


Sobriquets  and  Nicknames.  195 

and  being  the  only  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Kent. 
The  Holy  Maid  of  Kent  was  Elizabeth  Barton,  a 
religious  enthusiast,  hanged  at  Tyburn  in  1534.  A 
brave,  if  not  a  beautiful,  woman  of  historic  renown 
was  the  Countess  of  Dunbar  and  March,  who,  in 
the  year  1337,  completely  defied  the  attempt  of  the 
Earl  of  Salisbury  to  capture  Dunbar  Castle  during 
a  siege  of  nineteen  weeks,  at  the  end  of  which  the 
latter  was  forced  to  retire  with  ignominy.  This 
warlike  heroine  is  generally  alluded  to  under  the 
name  of  Black  Agnes,  in  consequence  of  her 
swarthy  complexion.  A  less  fortunate  Scottish 
heroine  who  fell  at  the  Battle  of  Ancrum  Moor 
beside  her  English  adversary,  General  Evers,  whom 
she  had  killed,  was  Fair  Maiden  Lilliard.  She 
was  buried  on  the  site  of  the  conflict ;  and  her 
epitaph,  as  follows,  is  known  to  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  that  part  of  the  country  : — 

"  Fair  Maiden  Lilliard  lies  under  this  stene, 
Little  was  her  stature,  but  great  was  her  fame ; 
Upon  the  English  loons  she  laid  many  thumps, 
And  when  her  legs  were  cutted  off,  she  fought  upon  her 
stumps." 

The  spot  where  she  fell  still  bears  the  name  of 
"  Lilliard's  Edge."  Then,  of  course,  we  have  the 
celebrated  Joan  of  Arc,  The  Maid  of  Orleans 
(born  1412,  burnt  at  the  stake  1431),  who  placed 
herself  at  the  head  of  the  attacking  party  and 
effected  the  capture  of  the  city  of  Orleans  from  the 
English.  Neither  must  we  omit  a  passing  allusion 


196  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

to  Augustine  Zaragossa,  better  known  as  The  Maid 
of  Saragossa,  owing  to  the  signal  heroism  which 
she  displayed  during  the  siege  of  her  native  city  in 
1808-9.  The  Honourable  Elizabeth  St.  Leger,  the 
niece  of  Colonel  Anthony  St.  Leger,  who  founded 
the  Stakes  named  after  him  in  connection  with  Don- 
caster  races,  is  known  to  posterity  as  The  Lady 
Freemason,  because  on  one  occasion  she  over- 
heard the  proceedings  of  an  assembly  of  Freemasons, 
and,  being  discovered,  was,  as  the  only  way  of 
meeting  an  unprecedented  difficulty,  duly  elected  a 
member  of  the  craft  and  initiated  into  its  peculiar 
rites  and  ceremonies.  Madame  Jenny  Lind  Gold- 
schmidt  (bora  1821,  died  1887)  was  styled  The 
Swedish  Nightingale  on  account  of  her  vocal 
genius  and  her  birth  in  the  city  of  Stockholm.  The 
now  popular  society  actress,  Mrs.  Langtry,  bears  the 
somewhat  punning  though  highly  complimentary 
sobriquet  of  The  Jersey  Lily,  because  she  was 
born  in  Jersey  and  her  Christian  name  is  Lillie. 

Heraclitus  of  Ephesus  (flourished  500  B.C.)  was 
known  as  The  Weeping  Philosopher,  because  he 
spent  the  latter  years  of  his  life  in  grieving  over  the 
folly  of  men ;  on  the  other  hand,  Democritus  of 
Abedere  (born  460  B.C.,  died  357  B.C.)  merited  the 
surname  of  The  Laughing  Philosopher  from  his 
habit  of  contrasting  the  feeble  powers  of  mankind 
with  the  forces  of  nature.  Duns  Scotus,  the  Scottish 
schoolman  (born  1272,  died  1308),  was  styled  The 
Subtle  Doctor  by  reason  of  his  learning ;  while 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (born  1227,  died  1274)  was 


Sobriquets  and  Nicknames.  197 

denominated  The  Angelic  Doctor  because  he  be- 
longed to  the  priesthood.  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 

is  the  name  by  which  Paul  Francis  (born  1694,  died 
1775),  founder  of  the  religious  Order  of  the  Pas- 
sionists,  is  best  known. 

The  famous  English  outlaw  who  flourished  be- 
tween the  years  1180  and  1247,  and  whose  real  name 
was  Robert  Fitz-ooth,  Earl  of  Huntingdon,  adopted 
the  style  of  Robin  Hood,  in  deference  to  the 
example  set  by  the  people  of  Nottinghamshire,  who, 
while  dropping  the  Fitz,  corrupted  the  Robert  into 
Robin  and  the  ooth  into  Hood.  Little  John  was 
properly  called  John  Little,  but  being  a  great,  stal- 
wart fellow,  the  outlaw  chief  took  a  fancy  to  invert 
his  name  for  the  sake  of  the  contrast.  We  can 
quite  understand  "  the  merry  men  of  Sherwood 
Forest  "  cultivating  an  objection  to  hard-sounding 
words ;  therefore  it  could  not  have  been  long  before 
William  Scathelocke,  another  prominent  member  of 
Robin  Hood's  band,  found  his  name  reduced  to  the 
more  euphonious  form  of  Will  Scarlet.  Friar 
Tuck  was  so  called  because  his  habit  was  tucked  in 
around  the  waist  by  a  girdle. 

Sixteen-string  Jack  was  the  name  popularly 
bestowed  upon  Jack  Rann,  a  notorious  highwayman 
hanged  in  1791,  owing  to  the  sixteen  tags  he  wore  on 
his  breeches,  eight  at  each  knee.  Another  notorious 
representative  of  the  great  family  of  Jacks,  good, 
bad,  and  otherwise,  was  the  Marquis  of  Waterford, 
commonly  known  as  Spring-heel  Jack,  from  his 
habit  of  frightening  people  by  springing  upon  them 


1 9$  Names :   and  their  Meaning. 

out  of  obscure  corners  after  nightfall  during  the 
early  part  of  the  present  century.  Gentleman 
Jack  and  Gentleman  Smith  were  the  titles  re- 
spectively borne  by  John  Bannister  and  William 
Smith,  both  actors  of  the  century  gone  by.  The 
former  was  noted  for  his  straightforward  dealings 
with  his  fellow-men  in  private  life,  the  latter  for  his 
gentlemanly  deportment  on  the  stage. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  Admirable  Crichton? 
This  extraordinary  Scottish  prodigy,  James  Crichton 
(born  1560,  died  1583),  is  said  to  have  given  such 
early  proofs  of  his  learning  that  the  degree  of  Master 
of  Arts  was  conferred  upon  him  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen. In  addition  to  his  classical  knowledge,  he  was 
a  poet,  a  musician,  a  sculptor,  an  artist,  an  actor,  a 
brilliant  conversationalist,  a  good  horseman,  and  an 
excellent  fencer.  Surely  the  possessor  of  such 
varied  accomplishments  deserved  a  better  fate  than 
that  which  befell  him  in  the  very  prime  of  his  life ! 
He  was  stabbed  by  a  band  of  masked  desperadoes  led 
by  his  own  pupil,  Vincenzo  Gonzaga,  the  son  of  the 
Duke  of  Mantua.  A  genius  of  a  totally  different  stamp 
was  George  Robert  Fitzgerald,  better  known,  owing 
to  his  duelling  proclivities,  as  Fighting  Fitzgerald. 
This  individual  was  one  of  the  most  infamous 
characters  of  the  last  century.  No  enemy  ever 
escaped  him  with  life ;  being  a  sure  shot  and  an 
expert  swordsman,  his  intense  love  of  gambling  and 
duelling,  united  to  a  haughty  and  overbearing  dis- 
position, habitually  prompted  him  to  shed  the  blood 
of  his  fellow-men  without  the  least  compunction. 


Sobriquets  and  Nicknames.  199 

A  celebrated  leader  of  fashion  during  the  early 
part  of  this  century  was  Robert  Coates,  popularly 
styled  Romeo  Coates  in  consequence  of  his  fond- 
ness for  playing  the  part  of  Romeo  at  amateur 
theatricals.  Among  other  past  notabilities  of  fashion 
we  may  mention  Beau  Fielding,  Beau  Brummell, 
and  Beau  Nash,  severally  so  styled  from  the 
foppishness  of  their  attire.  The  last-named  (born 
1674,  died  1761)  was  a  notorious  diner-out,  and  for 
some  time  Master  of  the  Ceremonies  at  the  fashion- 
able Assembly  Rooms  at  Bath,  where  he  provided  a 
series  of  entertainments  the  like  of  which  had  never 
been  known.  On  this  account  he  was  surnamed 
King  of  Bath.  Alas !  though  literally  the  "monarch 
of  ail  he  surveyed  "  during  the  brief  period  of  his 
popularity,  when  at  length  Death  claimed  him  for 
his  own  he  was  as  poor  as  the  meanest  of  King 
George's  subjects. 

But  Richard  " Beau"  Nash  was  not  the  only  British 
subject  who  has  rejoiced  in  the  erstwhile  title  of  King. 
As  examples  :  Richard  Oastler,  of  Bradford  (born 
1789,  died  1861),  merited  the  style  of  The  Factory 
King,  in  recognition  of  his  success  in  promoting  the 
"Ten  Hours'  Bill";  George  Hudson,  of  Yorkshire 
(born  1800,  died  1871),  chairman  of  the  Midland 
Railway  Company,  was  denominated  The  Railway 
King,  because  in  one  day  he  cleared  the  large  sum 
of  £100,000  by  fortunate  railway  speculations ;  John 
Law,  the  projector  of  the  Mississippi  Scheme  (born 
1671,  died  1729),  bore  the  name  of  The  Paper 
King,  than  which,  by  the  way,  nothing  could  have 


200  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

been  more  appropriate.  The  huge  fortunes  antici- 
pated by  the  subscribers  to  this  wholesale  fraud 
appeared  promising  enough  upon  paper,  or,  to  put  it 
more  precisely,  in  the  prospectus  ;  but  hard  cash 
there  was  none,  saving  such  as  passed  into  the  pockets 
of  the  wily  promoter.  In  our  own  decade  we  have 
The  Nitrate  King,  the  sobriquet  of  Colonel  J.  T. 
North,  of  Eltham,  consequent  upon  his  successful 
speculations  in  the  commodity  with  which  his  name 
has  become  associated. 

John  Kyrle,  of  Ross,  Herefordshire  (born  1637, 
died  1754),  well  known  for  his  artistic  tastes  and  acts 
of  benevolence,  was  styled  by  Pope  The  Man  of 
Ross,  because  he  was  constantly  effecting  improve- 
ments for  the  public  good  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
his  estate.  Another  local  philanthropist  was  Dr. 
William  Gordon,  of  Hull  (born  1801,  died  1849), 
whose  surname,  The  People's  Friend,  so  well 
merited  during  life,  literally  followed  him  to  the 
grave,  where  it  appears  chiselled  on  his  tombstone. 
Perhaps  the  greatest  benefactor  of  the  human  race 
with  whom  we  have  become  practically  acquainted 
in  modern  times,  was  Father  Mathew  (born  1790, 
died  1856),  universally  styled  The  Apostle  of 
Temperance,  beside  whom,  judging  from  results, 
all  our  latter-day  temperance  advocates  sink  into 
insignificance.  He  was  also  made  the  recipient  of 
the  sobriquet  The  Sinner's  Friend,  on  account  of 
the  special  interest  he  took  in  the  fallen  and  the 
outcast ;  even  the  most  degraded  always  met  with  a 
welcome  at  his  hands. 


Sobriquets  and  Nicknames.  201 

The  Musical  Small-coal  Man  was  the  popular 
designation  of  Thomas  Britton  (born  1650,  died 
1714),  a  vendor  of  small  coals,  which  he  carried  in  a 
sack  over  his  shoulder  and  cried  in  the  streets,  who 
on  Thursday  evenings  gave  a  series  of  high-class 
instrumental  concerts  in  the  room  over  his  shed  in 
Clerkenwell,  assisted  by  the  best  talent  he  could 
procure,  that  attracted  all  fashionable  London.  This 
gifted  person  was  actually  frightened  to  death  by  the 
freak  of  a  ventriloquist.  Thomas  Rawlinson,  the 
bibliopolist  (born  1681,  died  1725),  was  appro- 
priately enough  styled  Tom  Folio.  The  Infant 
Roscius  (born  1791,  died  1874)  was  William  Henry 
Betty,  a  histrionic  prodigy  named  after  the  greatest 
actor  of  antiquity.  His  debut  took  place  at  Belfast, 
August  19, 1803;  and  three  months  later  he  appeared 
at  Covent  Garden  (then  under  the  management  of 
the  elder  Macready)  for  twelve  nights  at  a  salary  of 
fifty  guineas  a  night  and  a  clear  benefit.  During 
this  brief  season  the  public  excitement  was  so  great 
that  the  military  had  to  be  called  out  every  night  to 
preserve  order.  His  last  appearance  as  a  boy-actor 
occurred  at  Bath  in  the  year  1808. 

William  Gerard  Hamilton,  the  Irish  Chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer  (born  1729,  died  1756),  has  been 
handed  down  to  posterity  under  the  name  of 
Single-speech  Hamilton,  because  he  delivered  but 
one  speech  in  the  House,  and  that  was  such  a  mar- 
vellous outburst  of  rhetoric  that  it  electrified  all  who 
heard  it.  This  memorable  incident  took  place 
November  13,  1755.  Henry  Dundas,  afterwards 


202  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Lord  Melville  (born  1740,  died  1811),  merited  the 
sobriquet  of  Starvation  Dundas  in  consequence  of 
his  repeated  use  of  the  word  "starvation"  in  the 
course  of  a  debate  on  American  affairs  in  the  year 
J775-  Sir  Robert  Peel  (born  1750,  died  1830), 
during  the  time  he  was  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland 
(1812  to  1816),  was  popularly  denominated  Orange 
Peel,  on  account  of  his  strong  anti-Catholic  spirit 
[see  ORANGEMEN].  William  Pitt,  Earl  of  Chatham 
(born  1708,  died  1778),  was  styled  The  Heaven- 
sent Minister  because  the  most  splendid  triumphs 
of  British  arms  were  achieved  during  his  administra- 
tion. John  Russell,  afterwards  created  Earl  Russell 
(born  1792,  died  1878),  received  the  nickname  of 
Finality  John  from  the  fact  of  his  maintaining  that 
the  Reform  Bill  of  1832  was  a  finality.  The  late 
Earl  of  Beaconsfield  (born  1804,  died  1881)  owed 
his  popular  name  of  Dizzy  to  his  own  habit  of 
setting  forth  his  early  novels  during  the  lifetime  of 
his  father  under  the  authorship  of  "  D'Israeli  the 
Younger."  In  course  of  time  this  became  shortened 
into  "  Dizzy,"  and  it  clung  to  him  ever  afterwards. 

Mr.  W.  E.  Gladstone  (born  1809)  first  received 
the  nickname  of  The  Grand  Old  Man  on  the 
occasion  of  the  unseating  in  the  House  of  Commons 
of  Mr.  Charles  Bradlaugh  (June  1880),  through  his 
refusal  to  take  the  oath  after  his  election  as  member 
for  Northampton.  At  this  time  Mr.  Bradlaugh 
found  a  strong  champion  in  Mr.  Labouchere  ;  and 
the  nickname  arose  out  of  the  latter's  conversation 
in  the  tea-room  of  the  House  "I  told  some  friends/' 


Sobriquets  and  Nicknames.  203 

said  Mr.  Labouchere,  referring  to  the  incident  of 
Mr.  Bradlaugh's  expulsion,  "  that  before  I  left  Mr. 
Gladstone  came  to  me,  and  that  grand  old  man, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  took  me  by  the  hands  and 
said,  *  Mr.  Labouchere,  bring  me  Mr.  Bradlaugh 
back  again.' ' 

Mr.  William  Henry  Smith,  M.P.,  the  present 
First  Lord  of  the  Treasury  (born  1825),  is  popularly 
known  by  the  name  of  Bookstall  Smith  because 
he  originated  the  idea  of  railway  bookstalls,  and 
founded  the  now  widely-popular  firm  of  "  W.  H. 
Smith  and  Sons." 

Sir  Christopher  Hatton  (born  1540,  died  1591) 
was  styled  The  Dancing  Chancellor  because  he 
first  attracted  the  notice  of  Queen  Elizabeth  by  his 
graceful  dancing  at  one  of  the  Court  masques.  In 
recognition  of  this  accomplishment  he  was  created  a 
Knight  of  the  Garter  and  subsequently  made  Chan- 
cellor of  England.  Praise-God  Barebones,  or, 
rather,  Barebon,  who  died  in  1680,  was  a  leather-seller 
and  the  leader  of  the  celebrated  "  Barebones  Parlia- 
ment." It  was  a  common  custom  among  the  Puritans 
to  nickname  people  in  accordance  with  their  habits 
and  peculiarities  ;  consequently  this  individual  must 
have  been  addicted  to  praising  God  in  the  hearing 
of  his  neighbours.  William  Huntingdon,  the  preacher 
and  theologian  (born  1744,  died  1813),  called  himself 
Sinner-saved  Huntingdon  for  reasons  doubtless 
best  known  to  himself.  Orator  Henley,  otherwise 
John  Henley  (born  1692,  died  1756),  was  an  English 
divine  who  in  1726  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  on 


204'  Names  :    and  their  Meaning. 

theological  subjects  on  Sundays,  and  on  secular 
subjects  on  Wednesdays,  in  a  kind  of  "  oratory  "  or 
chapel  in  Newport  Market,  which  attracted  large 
congregations. 

Memory  Woodfall  was  the  sobriquet  of  William 
Woodfall  (born  1745,  died  1803),  brother  to  the 
reputed  author  of  the  famous  "  Letters  of  Junius." 
This  person's  memory  was  so  perfect  that  he  was 
able,  after  listening  to  a  Parliamentary  debate,  to 
report  it  the  next  morning  word  for  word  without  the 
assistance  of  any  notes  whatever.  Of  another  kind 
was  the  memory  possessed  by  John  Thompson,  the 
son  of  a  greengrocer  in  the  parish  of  St.  Giles, 
popularly  known  as  Memory- corner  Thompson 
(born  1757,  died  1843)  on  account  of  his  astounding 
local  knowledge.  Within  twenty-four  hours,  and  at 
two  sittings,  he  drew  entirely  from  memory  a  correct 
plan  of  the  parish  of  St.  James's.  This  plan  con- 
tained all  the  squares,  streets,  lanes,  courts,  passages, 
markets,  churches,  chapels,  houses,  stables,  and 
angles  of  houses,  in  addition  to  a  number  of  minor 
objects,  such  as  walls,  trees,  &c.,  and  including  an 
exact  plan  of  Carlton  House  and  St.  James's  Palace. 
He  also,  on  another  occasion,  made  a  correct  plan  of 
St.  Andrew's  parish,  and  offered  to  do  the  same  with 
the  parishes  of  St.  Giles,  St.  Paul's,  Covent  Garden, 
and  St.  Clement-Danes.  If  a  particular  house  in 
any  given  street  were  named,  he  would  tell  at  once 
what  trade  was  carried  on  in  it,  the  appearance 
and  position  of  the  shop,  and  its  contents.  In 
going  through  a  large  hotel  completely  furnished, 


Sobriquets  and  Nicknames.  205 

he  was  able  to  retain  a  recollection  of  everything  he 
saw,  and  afterwards  make  an  inventory  of  the  whole. 
But,  perhaps  more  wonderful  than  all,  he  could, 
after  having  read  a  newspaper  overnight,  repeat  any 
desired  portion  of  its  contents  verbatim  the  next 
morning.  Nowadays  such  a  one  would  be  exhibited 
at  the  Royal  Aquarium  as  a  natural  curiosity. 

Another  well-known  London  character  was  Dirty 
Dick,  otherwise  Nathaniel  Bentley,  the  miser,  who 
never  washed  himself.  This  extraordinary  individual 
died  in  the  odour  of  dirt  in  the  year  1809,  leaving  an 
ample  fortune  to  console  his  heirs  for  his  loss  (?). 
The  house  which  he  inhabited  in  Bishopsgate  Street 
Without  has  now  been  converted  into  a  modern  wine 
and  spirit  establishment,  under  the  style  of  THE 
D.D.  CELLARS.  Laurence  Brown,  the  English  land- 
scape gardener  (born  1715,  died  1783)  was  nicknamed 
Capability  Brown  owing  to  his  habitual  use  of 
the  word  capability.  At  the  present  day  the  Duke 
of  Cambridge  (born  1819)  is  usually  denominated 
George  Ranger  in  allusion  to  his  appointment  as 
Ranger  of  the  Royal  Parks.  Ernest  Benzon,  author 
of  "  How  I  Lost  £250,000  in  Two  Years,"  rejoiced 
in  the  title  of  The  Jubilee  Plunger  because  he 
entered  upon  his  gambling  career  in  1887,  the  Jubilee 
year  of  Queen  Victoria  [see  PLUNGER], 

A  few  of  the  more  celebrated  painters  may  now 
detain  us.  Peter  Aartsen,  the  Flemish  painter  (born 
1507,  died  1573),  bore  the  name  of  Long  Peter  on 
account  of  his  extraordinary  height ;  while  Gaspar 
Smitz,  the  Dutch  portrait  painter  (died  1689),  was 


206  Names  :    and  their  Meaning. 

styled  Magdalen  Smith  because  his  pictures  com- 
prised mostly  "  Magdalens."  The  real  name  of  the 
French  landscape  painter,  Claude  Lorraine  (born 
1600,  died  1682),  was  Claude  Gelee  of  Lorraine; 
that  of  Paolo  Veronese,  or  Paul  Veronese  (born 
1528,  died  1588),  was  Paolo  Cagliari,  his  birth  having 
taken  place  in  Verona;  and  that  of  Jacopa  da 
Bassano,  called  II  Bassano  (born  1510,  died  1592), 
was  Jacopa  da  Ponte,  whose  native  place  was 
Bassano,  in  the  Venetian  State.  Pietro  Vanucci 
(born  1446,  died  1524),  though  recognizing  Citta 
della  Pieve  as  his  birthplace,  was  all  his  life  esta- 
blished in  the  neighbouring  city  of  Perugia,  where  he 
claimed  the  right  of  citizenship  ;  hence  the  origin  of 
his  more  common  name  II  Perugino.  Francesco 
Rossi  (born  1510,  died  1563),  adopted  the  name  of 
Del  Salviati,  in  honour  of  his  patron,  Cardinal 
Salviati,  who  was  his  own  age  exactly,  and,  strangely 
enough,  died  in  the  same  year  as  himself.  Giuseppe 
Ribera  (born  1588,  died  1656),  was  popularly  sur- 
named  Lo  Spagnoletto  ("the  Little  Spaniard"),  from 
the  shortness  of  his  stature  and  his  birth  at  Xativa, 
in  Spain  ;  while  Tommaso  Guidi  (born  1402,  died 
1428),  merited  his  better-known  name  of  Masaccio, 
owing  to  the  slovenliness  of  his  habits,  the  direct  con- 
sequence of  an  all-absorbing  attention  to  his  studies. 
Jacopo  Robusti  (born  1512,  died  1594)  received  his 
now  far  more  popular  name  of  Tintoretto  because 
his  father  followed  the  occupation  of  a  tintore,  or  dyer. 
During  his  lifetime,  this  celebrated  Italian  painter 
merited  the  additional  sobriquet  of  II  Furioso  owing 


Sobriquets  and  Nicknames.  207 

to  the  rapidity  with  which  he  produced  his  work. 
Quintin  Matsys  (born  1466,  died  1530),  whose 
masterpiece,  "  The  Taking  Down  from  the  Cross," 
has  achieved  a  world-wide  reputation,  is  equally 
known  to  fame  by  the  name  of  The  Smith  of  Ant- 
werp, owing  to  the  circumstance  of  having  followed 
for  a  time,  and  with  great  distinction,  his  father's 
occupation  of  a  blacksmith.  His  attachment  to  the 
pretty  daughter  of  a  painter,  however,  caused  him 
eventually  to  forsake  the  anvil  for  the  palette. 
Nearer  home  the  historical  portrait  painter,  David 
Allan  (born  1744,  died  1796)  was  surnamed  The 
Scottish  Hogarth  in  compliment  to  his  excellence ; 
and  William  Huggins  (born  1821,  died  1884),  The 
Liverpool  Landseer,  in  favourable  comparison  with 
the  celebrated  English  animal  painter  of  that  name. 
Simon  Bolivar,  the  South  American  hero  (born 
1783,  died  1830),  justly  merited  the  dignified  title  of 
The  Liberator;  while  General  John  Charles  Fre- 
mont (born  1813,  died  1890)  won  the  surname  of 
The  Pathfinder  after  his  fourth  successful  exploring 
expedition  across  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  1842. 
Lastly,  Jonathan  Hastings,  a  farmer  of  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts,  U.S.,  was  styled  Yankee  Jonathan 
in  consequence  of  his  addiction  to  the  word  Yankee 
in  the  place  of  "  excellent."  Thus  he  would  say, 
"  A  Yankee  good  horse,"  "  A  Yankee  good  cider," 
&c.  This  individual,  however,  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  "  Brother  Jonathan,"  the  nickname  of 
the  typical  American,  to  which  reference  is  made 
in  another  portion  of  this  work. 


THE  INNS  OF  COURT. 

AS  by  reference  to  our  article  on  TAVERN  SIGNS 
it  will  be  seen  how  the  word  Inn  originally 
denoted  a  private  mansion,  it  will  suffice  to 
state  here  that  the  various  colleges  of  the  law 
students  in  London  are  styled  Inns  because  the 
chief  of  them  were  at  one  time  the  residences  of  the 
nobility  whose  family  names  they  still  bear.  Thus, 
Lincoln's  Inn  was  the  town  mansion  of  the  Earls 
of  Lincoln,"  Gray's  Inn,  of  the  Earls  Gray,  Furni- 
val's  Inn,  of  the  Lords  Furnival,  and  Clifford's 
Inn,  of  the  Lords  Clifford.  The  two  first-named, 
together  with  the  Inner  and  Middle  Temple,  are  the 
principal  Inns  of  Court,  so  called  because  the 
earliest  seminaries  for  the  study  of  the  law  were 
established  in  one  of  the  courts  of  the  King's  palace. 
The  Inns  of  lesser  import  are  : — Serjeants'  Inn, 
originally  the  establishment  of  the  "Freres  Serjens," 
or  Serving  Brothers  to  the  Knights  Templars  who 
occupied  The  Temple  close  by  ;  Barnard's  Inn — 
sold  and  abolished  in  1881 — named  after  its  ancient 
owner ;  Staple  Inn,  formerly  the  Hall  of  the 
Merchants  of  the  Staple,  i.e.,  wool ;  Clement's  Inn 
and  Dane's  Inn,  so  designated  from  their  proximity 
to  the  Church  of  St.  Clement-Danes;  and  New 


The  Inns  of  Court.  209 

Inn,  the  latest  of  all  the  Inns  erected  in  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century.  Thavie's  Inn  no  longer 
exists,  but  the  title  still  adheres  to  a  range  of 
modern  buildings  erected  upon  its  site.  No  person 
of  the  name  of  Thavie  ever  owned  or  occupied  the 
original  premises  ;  nevertheless,  when  the  Inn  was 
established  as  an  appendage  to  Lincoln's  Inn,  about 
the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century,  the  Benchers 
unanimously  agreed  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
one  John  Thavie,  an  armourer  who,  dying  in  the 
year  1348,  bequeathed  a  number  of  houses  in 
Holborn,  representing  considerable  rentals,  to  the 
neighbouring  church  of  St.  Andrew,  and  named  it 
"  Thavie's  Inn  "  accordingly. 

The  senior  members  of  the  Inns  of  Court  are 
styled  Benchers  by  reason  of  the  benches  on  which 
they  formerly  sat. 


RACES. 

GOODWOOD  RACES  are  held  once  a  year  in 
Goodwood  Park,  the  property  of  the  Duke 
of  Richmond;  Ascot  Races,  on  Ascot 
Heath,  in  Berkshire,  and  Epsom  Races,  on  Epsom 
Downs,  near  London.  The  Derby  Stakes,  at 
Epsom,  were  named  after  Edward  Smith  Stanley, 
twelfth  Earl  of  Derby,  who  founded  them  in  1780,  the 
year  after  he  established  the  Oaks  Stakes ;  so  called 
from  an  inn  known  as  "  Lamberts'  Oaks,"  originally 
erected  by  the  Hunters5  Club  and  rented  by  a 
family  named  Lambert  upon  land  which  subsequently 
passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Derby  family.  The 
St.  Leger  Stakes,  otherwise  the  Doncaster  St. 
Leger,  annually  run  for  at  Doncaster,  were  esta- 
blished by  Colonel  Anthony  St.  Leger  in  1776. 

A  Hurdle  Race  is  one  in  which  hurdles  are 
placed  at  different  points  along  the  course.  A 
Steeplechase  is  confined  to  thoroughbred  hunters 
whose  riders  are  bound  to  make  for  the  winning-post 
straight  across  the  country,  guided  by  flags  displayed 
on  the  highest  points  along  the  line,  and  to  clear 
whatever  ditches,  fences,  walls,  or  other  obstacles 
that  may  lie  in  their  course.  The  term  originated 
from  the  incident  of  an  unsuccessful  hunting-party 


Races.  211 

agreeing  to  race  to  the  village  church,  of  which  the 
steeple  was  just  in  sight ;  and  he  who  touched  the 
building  first  with  his  whip  was  to  be  declared  the 
winner.  A  Scratched  Horse  is  one  whose  name 
has  been  struck  out  of  the  final  list  of  runners  in  a 
particular  race.  A  Sweepstake  is  a  term  used  to 
denote  the  whole  amount  staked  by  different  persons 
upon  one  race,  and  cleared  literally  "  at  one  sweep  " 
by  the  fortunate  individual  who  has  backed  the 
"winner. 


LONDON    CHURCHES    AND 
BUILDINGS. 

IN  all  probability  the  name  of  Westminster 
Abbey  would  never  have  come  into  existence 
had  it  not  been  necessary  to  distinguish  the 
Abbey  Church  lying  to  the  west  of  St.  Paul's  (founded 
by  Ethelbert  in  610)  from  another  Abbey  Church 
that  stood  upon  the  rising  ground  now  known  as 
Tower  Hill.  Consequently,  the  one  was  described 
as  the  West  Minster,  the  other  the  East  Minster;  and 
when,  in  course  of  time,  the  latter  was  swept  away, 
the  western  edifice  not  only  retained  the  description 
of  "  The  West  Minster/'  but  gave  its  name  also  to 
the  district  around.  The  earliest  mention  of  West 
Minster  occurs  in  a  Saxon  charter  dated  785. 

The  Temple  comprised  the  chief  seat  in  this 
country  of  the  Knights  Templars  after  their  return 
from  the  Holy  Land.  The  Savoy  Chapel  is  a 
modern  edifice  built  by  the  Queen  to  replace  the 
original,  destroyed  by  fire  July,  7,  1864,  which 
formed  the  only  remaining  portion  of  the  old  Savoy 
Palace  erected  by  Peter  of  Savoy,  the  uncle  of 
Eleanor,  queen  of  Henry  III.,  in  1249,  on  land 
granted  to  him  by  that  monarch. 
The  Church  of  St.  Clement-Danes  owes  its 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  213 

compound  title  to  the  fact  of  being  dedicated  to  St. 
Clement,  and  of  Harold,  a  Danish  king,  together 
with  several  other  Danes  lying  buried  within  its 
walls.  The  Church  of  St.  Mary-le-Bow,  Cheap- 
side,  otherwise  Bow  Church,  was  so  denominated 
because  it  was  the  first  church  ever  built  upon  bows 
or  arches.  The  Church  of  St.  Mary  Woolnoth, 
at  the  corner  of  Lombard  Street  and  King  William 
Street,  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  St.  Mary 
Woolnough,  so  called  by  way  of  distinction  from  a 
neighbouring  church  of  "  St.  Mary  of  the  Wool," 
that  stood  beside  the  beam  or  wool-staple.  The 
Church  of  St.  Mary-Axe,  now  vanished,  received 
this  name  from  its  situation  opposite  to  a  shop 
that  displayed  an  axe  for  its  sign.  The  Church  of 
St.  Catherine  Cree,  Leadenhall  Street,  is  properly 
St.  Catherine  and  Trinity,  being  originally  a  chapel 
dedicated  to  St.  Catherine  in  the  churchyard  of  the 
priory  church  of  Holy  Trinity,  afterwards  merged  into 
the  parishes  of  Christ  Church,  St.  Mary  Magdalen, 
and  St.  Michael.  The  Church  of  St.  Catherine 
Coleman,  Fenchurch  Street,  dedicated  to  St. 
Catherine,  is  so  designated  because  it  was  built  in 
a  large  garden  belonging  to  a  person  named  Cole- 
man. The  Church  of  St.  Margaret  Pattens, 
Rood  Lane,  did  not  receive  its  denomination 
from  the  patten-makers  who  congregated  in  this 
neighbourhood,  but  because  its  roof  was  formerly 
decorated  with  gilt  spots  or  patines ;  a  patine  being 
the  name  of  a  small  circular  dish  of  gold  used  to 
cover  the  chalice  at  the  altar.  Lovers  of  Shake- 


214  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

speare  may  recollect  the  passage  in  the  Merchant  of 
Venice  where  Lorenzo,  referring  to  the  stars,  says  : — 


"  Sit,  Jessica  :  Look  how  the  floor  of  heaven 
Is  thick  inlaid  with  patines  of  bright  gold  ; 
There's  not  the  smallest  orb  which  thou  behold'st, 
But  in  his  motion  like  an  angel  sings, 
Still  quiring  to  the  young-ey'd  cherubins  ; 
Such  harmony  is  in  immortal  souls, 
But  whilst  this  muddy  vesture  of  decay 
Doth  grossly  close  it  in,  we  cannot  hear  it." 

The  original  Church  of  St.  Sepulchre,  founded 
during  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  was  so  denominated 
in  honour  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem.  The 
name  of  St.  Bride's  Church,  Fleet  Street,  is  a  con- 
traction of  St.  Bridget's  Church.  The  Church  of  St. 
Andrew  Undershaft,  Leadenhall  Street,  dedicated 
to  St.  Andrew,  was  originally  so  called  because  its 
steeple  was  of  lesser  altitude  than  the  tall  shaft 
or  maypole  which  stood  opposite  the  south  door. 
Hence,  the  church  was  literally  "  under  the  shaft. "" 
The  parish  of  St.  Mary-Axe  is  now  united  to  that 
of  St.  Andrew  Undershaft.  The  Church  of  St. 
Helen's,  Bishopsgate,  was  built  and  dedicated  to 
St.  Helena,  the  mother  of  Constantine,  in  1180,  just 
thirty  years  before  William  Fitzwilliam,  a  rich  gold- 
smith, founded  in  connection  therewith  a  priory  of 
Benedictine  nuns,  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Cross  and 
St.  Helena.  The  neighbouring  Church  of  St.. 
Ethelburga  was  so  named  in  honour  of  the 
daughter  of  King  Ethelbert.  The  Church  of  All- 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  215 

hallowes  Barking,  at  the  bottom  of  Mark  Lane, 
derived  the  second  portion  of  its  title  from  the  fact 
that  it  belonged  to  the  ancient  abbey  and  convent 
at  Barking,  in  Essex.  St.  (Wave's  Church,  Tooley 
Street,  is  properly  described  as  St,  Olaf  S  Church, 
being  dedicated  to  Olaf,  a  Norwegian  prince  of  great 
renown,  who  came  over  to  this  country  at  the 
invitation  of  the  King  Ethelred,  and  rendered  good 
service  in  expelling  the  Danes. 

The  central  portion  of  the  Tower  of  London,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  built  by  Julius  Caesar,  is  known 
as  the  White  Tower  on  account  of  the  white 
stone  employed  in  its  construction.  In  the  Bloody 
Tower  the  Infant  Princes  were  murdered  by  order 
of  their  uncle,  Richard  III.;  and  in  the  Beauchamp 
Tower,  Thomas  de  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick, 
was  imprisoned  by  Richard  II.  for  leading  the  con- 
spiracy of  the  Barons  for  the  removal  of  Sir  Simon 
de  Burley,  the  young  King's  favourite.  At  the  ac- 
cession of  Henry  IV.  the  Earl  obtained  his  liberty* 
Traitors'  Gate  denotes  the  river  gate  by  which  all 
State  prisoners  convicted  of  high  treason  were 
admitted  into  the  Tower.  Newgate  Prison  de- 
rived its  name  from  its  original  situation  next  to  the 
newest  of  the  five  principal  gates  of  the  City.  The 
prison  is  first  mentioned  in  history  under  date  1207. 
The  present  gloomy  edifice  was  built  in  1782.  The 
open  space  between  the  prison  and  the  Old  Bailey 
was  formerly  known  as  the  Press  Yard,  because 
here  it  was  that  prisoners  who  refused  to  plead  upon 
trial  were  barbarously  pressed  to  death.  The  Old 


216  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Bailey  Sessions  House  received  its  name  from  the 
street  in  which  it  stands  [see  OLD  BAILEY  in  the 
article  "  LONDON  STREETS  AND  SQUARES."]  The 
old  Marshalsea  Prison,  Southwark,  abolished  and 
pulled  down  in  1842,  was  so  called  because  it  con- 
tained the  Court  of  the  Knight-Marshal,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  settle  disputes  occurring  between  the  members 
of  the  Royal  Household.  This  office  now  belongs  to 
the  Steward  of  the  Royal  Household.  Bridewell  was 
a  corruption  of  "  St.  Bridget's  Well,"  discovered  in 
the  grounds  attached  to  an  ancient  hospital,  after- 
wards converted  into  a  house  of  correction  for 
females.  An  iron  pump  let  into  the  wall  of  the 
churchyard  at  the  upper  end  of  Bride  Lane  indicates 
the  exact  spot  where  the  dames  of  old  were  wont  to 
drink  the  virtuous  waters.  The  Fleet  Prison  took 
its  name  from  the  river,  now  a  common  sewer,  near 
which  it  stood.  The  northern  boundary  of  the  prison 
is  now  defined  by  Fleet  Lane,  which  runs  from 
Farringdon  Street  to  the  Old  Bailey. 

St.  John's  Gate,  Clerkenwell,  is  the  sole  remain- 
ing portion  of  the  priory  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem, 
the  seat  in  this  country  of  the  Knights  Hospitallers, 
instituted  by  Godfrey  de  Boulogne.  The  Gate  now 
forms  the  headquarters  of  the  St.  John's  Ambulance 
Association.  Temple  Bar  was  not  one  of  the  City 
fortifications,  but  the  ordinary  gateway  of  the  Temple. 
It  was  popularly  known  as  The  City  Golgotha, 
owing  to  the  spiked  heads  of  traitors  exposed  thereon 
— Golgotha  being  Hebrew  for  "  the  place  of  skulls." 
The  Bar  was  taken  down  in  1878.  London  Bridge 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  217 

— that  is  to  say,  the  original  structure — was  the  first 
bridge  over  the  Thames.  The  present  structure  was 
thrown  open  August  i,  1831.  Billingsgate  traces  its 
origin  to  Belin,  one  of  the  early  kings  of  Britain,  who 
built  a  gate  on  the  site  of  the  present  market  and  gave 
it  his  name.  St.  Katherine's  Docks  received  their 
title  from  an  ancient  hospital  dedicated  to  St. 
Katherine,  swept  away  by  their  construction  in  the 
year  1828.  The  Mint  is  so  called  in  accordance 
with  the  Anglo-Saxon  my  net,  coin  [see  MONEY]. 
The  Trinity  House,  the  seat  of  the  Trinity  Cor- 
poration, which  controls  the  pilotage  of  the  Thames 
and  the  various  lighthouses,  buoys,  harbour-dues, 
&c.,  around  our  coast,  owed  its  foundation  to  Sir 
Thomas  Spert,  Comptroller  of  the  Navy  of  Henry 
VIII.,  and  commander  of  the  Harry  Grace  de  Dieu, 
originally  situated  at  Deptford ;  it  was  incorporated 
in  1529  under  the  style  of  "  The  Master- Wardens 
and  Assistants  of  the  Guild,  or  Fraternity,  or 
Brotherhood,  of  the  most  glorious  and  undivisible 
Trinity,  and  St.  Clement,  in  the  parish  of  Deptford, 
Stroud,  in  the  County  of  Kent."  The  present 
edifice  was  built  in  1795.  Crosby  Hall,  Bishops- 
gate,  at  one  time  a  palace,  but  now  converted  into 
a  restaurant,  was  buiit  by  Sir  John  Crosby  about 
the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century.  The  Con- 
gregational Memorial  Hall,  Farringdon  Road, 
which  occupies  part  of  the  site  of  the  old  Fleet 
Prison,  was  built  in  1872  to  memorate  the  ejection 
of  more  than  two  thousand  Church  of  England 
ministers  from  their  charges,  August  24,  1662, 


2i8  Names  :  -and  their  Meaning. 

consequent  upon  their  refusal  to  subscribe  to  the 
"  Act  of  Uniformity"  [see  NONCONFORMISTS]. 
The  Guildhall  is  the  hall  of  the  City  guilds; 
the  word  GUILD  being  derived  from  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  gildan,  to  pay,  alluding  to  the  fee  paid  for 
membership.  Doctors'  Commons,  originally  esta- 
blished as  a  college  for  the  Professors  of  Canon 
and  Civil  Law,  received  its  name  from  the  rule 
which  required  the  Doctors  to  dine  at  a  common 
table.  That  sombre-looking  structure,  the  College 
of  Arms,  otherwise  Heralds'  College,  is  the  office 
where  the  records  of  the  genealogical  descent  of  all 
our  noble  families  are  preserved,  and  where  searches 
for  coats-of-arms  may  be  instituted.  The  Cor- 
poration of  the  College  dates  back  to  the  year 
1484.  The  General  Post  Office  is  officially  de- 
nominated St.  Martin's-le-Grand  because  it  oc- 
cupies the  site  of  a  collegiate  church  and  sanctuary 
of  that  name  founded  by  Within,  King  of  Kent  in 
750,  and  chartered  by  William  the  Conqueror  in 
1068. 

The  Charterhouse,  originally  a  monastery  of  the 
Carthusians,  is  a  corruption  of  La  Chartreuse,  the 
name  of  the  district  in  France  where  this  religious 
Order  first  came  into  existence.  Christ's  Hospital, 
also  known  as  the  Blue  Coat  School,  from  the 
colour  of  the  coats  worn  by  the  boys,  retains  the 
ancient  designation  of  a  church  and  school  belonging 
to  the  Grey  Friars.  It  is  only  in  modern  times,  by 
the  way,  that  the  term  Hospital  has  come  to  be  ex- 
clusively applied  in  this  country  to  a  refuge  for  the 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  219 

sick.  Properly  understood,  a  hospital  denotes  a 
house  intended  for  the  reception  and  accommodation 
of  travellers  ;  the  source  of  the  word  being  the  Latin 
hospitalis,  pertaining  to  a  guest,  based  upon  hospes,  a 
stranger,  a  guest,  and  from  which  we  derive  the 
word  HOSPITALITY.  The  great  Bernardine  monas- 
tery on  the  summit  of  the  Alps,  devoted  to  the  good 
work  of  rescuing  snow-bound  travellers,  is  appro- 
priately denominated  a  Hospice,  which  answers  to 
our  Hospital.  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital  was 
founded  by  Rahare,  a  monk  attached  to  the  neigh- 
bouring Priory  of  St.  Bartholomew  in  1123 ;  whereas 
Guy's  Hospital  arose  out  of  the  bequest  of 
£238,292,  by  the  will  of  Thomas  Guy,  a  benevolent 
bookseller  of  Lombard  Street,  who  died  in  1722. 
Bedlam  is  a  contraction  of  Bethlehem  Hospital,  a 
lazar-house  named  after  the  Hospital  of  St.  Mary  at 
Bethlehem,  and  converted  into  a  lunatic  asylum  in 
1815.  This  was  the  common  designation  in  ancient 
times  for  a  refuge  for  the  poor,  the  word  Bethlehem 
expressing  the  Hebrew  for  "  a  house  of  bread  "  ;  but 
in  more  modern  times  the  synonym  Lazar-house 
was  substituted  in  allusion  to  Lazarus,  who  picked 
up  the  crumbs  under  the  table  of  Dives.  A  refuge 
for  fallen  women  has  always  borne  the  name  of  a 
Magdalen  Hospital  in  honour  of  Mary  Magdalen. 
St,  James's  Palace  marks  the  site  of  an  ancient 
leper  hospital  dedicated  to  St.  James  the  Less, 
Bishop  of  Jerusalem.  The  present  edifice  was  built 
by  Henry  VIII.  in  1530.  Buckingham  Palace 
displaced  old  Buckingham  House,  the  town  mansion 


220  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

of  John  Sheffield,  Duke  of  Buckingham,  in  the  year 
1825.  The  total  cost  to  the  nation  of  this  "  desirable 
residence"  was  £1,000,000.  Marlborough  House 
was  originally  the  town  residence  of  John,  Duke  of 
Marlborough,  erected  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren  in 
1709.  Somerset  House  reverted  to  the  Crown  by 
the  attainder  of  its  owner,  Edward  Seymour,  Duke 
of  Somerset,  the  Lord  Protector  of  Edward  VI., 
executed  January  22,  1552.  Whitehall  received 
its  name  from  the  fresh  appearance  of  its  exterior  as 
contrasted  with  the  ancient  buildings  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  way.  The  present  fabric,  viz.,  The 
Banquetting  Hall,  is  merely  a  vestige  of  the 
palace  originally  set  apart  by  Cardinal  Wolsey  for 
the  London  See  of  York :  whence  he  gave  it  the  name 
of  "  York  House."  The  Horse  Guards  is  so  called 
because  a  troop  of  Horse  Guards  are  regularly 
quartered  here.  Dover  House  was  named  after  its 
owner,  the  Hon.  George  Agar  Ellis,  afterwards 
created  Lord  Dover ;  and  York  House,  after  the 
Duke  of  York  and  Albany  who  bought  it  in  1789. 
Devonshire  House,  Piccadilly,  is  the  town  residence 
of  the  Duke  of  Devonshire.  Apsley  House,  Hyde 
Park  Corner,  well  known  as  the  residence  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington,  received  its  name  from  Henry  Apsley, 
Lord  Chancellor,  afterwards  created  Lord  Bathurst, 
who  built  it  in  1784.  Chandos  House,  Cavendish 
Square,  was  the  residence  of  James  Brydges,  "  the 
Princely  Duke  of  Chandos."  The  Albany,  Picca- 
dilly, perpetuates  the  memory  of  the  Duke  of  York 
and  Albany,  who  acquired  it  from  Lord  Melbourne 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  221 

in  exchange  for  his  older  residence,  York  House,  in 
Whitehall.  Burlington  House,  the  home  of  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Arts  and  quite  a  number  of 
learned  societies,  was  built  by  Sir  John  Denham,  the 
poet  and  judge,  in  1718,  and  refronted  by  the 
celebrated  amateur  architect,  Richard  Boyle,  Earl  of 
Burlington  and  Cork,  in  1731.  This  palatial  edifice 
was  purchased  by  the  State  in  1854.  The  Soane 
Museum,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  was  the  private 
collection  of  Sir  John  Soane,  the  architect  and 
antiquary,  who  died  in  1837.  The  Rolls  Chapel, 
Chancery  Lane,  bears  this  name  because  it  was 
annexed  by  patent  to  the  office  of  the  Master  of  the 
Rolls  of  Chancery  after  the  banishment  of  the  Jews 
from  England  in  the  year  1290.  The  history  of 
the  chapel  dates  from  1283,  when  Henry  III. 
founded  it  for  the  reception  of  the  Jewish  rabbis 
converted  to  Christianity. 

The  Painted  Hall,  Greenwich  Hospital,  owes  its 
name  to  its  magnificently  decorated  ceiling.  Van- 
burgh  Castle,  Blackheath,  was  built  in  the  cas- 
tellated style  by  Sir  John  Vanburgh,  in  1717.  Rye 
House,  famous  for  being  the  scene  of  the  conspiracy 
to  assassinate  Charles  II.,  which  was  discovered 
June  12,  1683,  is  so  called  from  the  rye  on  which 
it  stands  ;  RYE  being  an  Old  English  term  for  a 
common,  derived  from  ree,  a  watercourse  :  hence 
PECKHAM  RYE. 

Bruce  Castle,  Tottenham,  has  a  history  all  its 
own.  The  present  structure  dates  back  to  the  latter 
part  of  the  seventeenth  century;  but  the  original 


222  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

building  was  erected  by  Earl  Waltheof,  whose 
marriage  with  Judith,  the  niece  of  William  the 
Conqueror,  brought  him  portions  of  the  earldoms 
of  Northumberland  and  Huntingdon.  Their  only 
daughter,  Maud,  on  becoming  the  wife  of  David  L, 
King  of  Scotland,  placed  him  in  possession  of  the 
Huntingdon  estates,  and,  as  appended  to  that 
property,  the  manor  of  Tottenham,  in  Middlesex. 
Ultimately  these  possessions  descended  to  Robert 
Bruce,  the  brother  of  William  III.,  King  of  Scot- 
land. The  contention  between  Robert  Bruce  and 
John  Baliol  for  the  Scottish  throne  being  decided 
in  favour  of  the  latter,  the  former  retired  to  Eng- 
land, and  settling  on  his  grandfather's  estate 
at  Tottenham,  repaired  the  castle  to  which  he 
gave  the  name  of  "  The  Castle  Bruce.''  Lincoln 
House,  Enfield,  was  the  residence  of  the  second  and 
third  Earls  of  Lincoln  in  the  seventeenth  century. 
Sandford  House,  Stoke  Newington,  is  interesting 
as  having  been  the  residence  of  Thomas  Day,  the 
author  of  "  Sandford  and  Merton  "  (born  1748,  died 
1789).  Cromwell  House,  Highgate,  now  a  Con- 
valescent Hospital  for  sick  children,  was  occupied 
for  some  time  by  Oliver  Cromwell,  who  built  Ireton 
House,  close  by,  for  Henry  Ireton,  his  son-in-law, 
in  1630  ;  while  Lauderdale  House,  lately  a  Con- 
valescent Home  in  connection  with  St.  Bartholo- 
mew's Hospital,  was  the  residence  of  the  Earls 
of  Lauderdale  during  the  seventeenth  century. 
WATERLOW  PARK,  in  this  neighbourhood — in  fact, 
comprising  among  other  valuable  property  the 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  223 

grounds  appertaining  to  Lauderdale  House — was 
generously  presented  to  the  London  public  by  Sir 
Sydney  Waterlow,  in  November,  1890.  The 
Clock  House,  Hampstead,  originally  displayed  a 
clock  in  place  of  the  present  sun-dial.  Rosslyn 
House,  Hampstead,  which  gives  the  name  to 
ROSSLYN  HILL  PARK,  was  erected  by  Alexander 
Wedderburn,  first  Earl  of  Rosslyn  and  Lord 
Chancellor  of  England,  in  1795.  Erskine  House, 
Hampstead,  adjoining  "  The  Spaniards,"  was  the 
residence  of  Lord  Erskine,  Lord  Chancellor  of 
England,  who  died  here  in  1823. 

Strawberry  Hill,  the  celebrated  palace  of  curiosi- 
ties built  by  Horace  Walpole  in  1750,  received  its 
name  from  the  rising  ground  upon  which  it  stood. 
The  building  was  sold  by  public  auction,  and  pur- 
chased by  Baron  H.  de  Stein,  in  July,  1883. 
'Orleans  House,  Twickenham,  now  a  club,  was 
named  after  Louis  Philippe  of  France,  who  resided 
in  it  when  he  was  simply  Due  d'Orleans.  Essex 
House,  Putney,  was  one  of  the  many  residences  of 
Robert  Devereaux,  Earl  of  Essex,  the  favourite  of 
Queen  Elizabeth.  Bristol  House,  Putney,  was, 
until  recently,  the  property  of  the  Bristol  family. 
-Craven  Cottage,  Fulham,  was  built  by  the  Countess 
of  Craven,  afterwards  created  Margravine  of  Anspach. 
Munster  House,  Fulham,  derived  its  title  from  its 
one-time  resident,  Melesina  Schulenberg,  created 
Duchess  of  Munster  in  1716.  Peterborough 
House,  Parson's  Green,  was  formerly  the  mansion 
of  the  Mordaunts,  Earls  of  Peterborough.  Sussex 


224  Names :  and  tfieir  Meaning. 

House,  Hammersmith,  was  the  favourite  residence 
of  the  late  Duke  of  Sussex.  Holland  House,, 
Kensington,  owes  its  name  to  Henry  Rich,  Earl  of 
Holland,  by  whose  father-in-law,  Sir  William  Cope, 
it  was  built  in  1607.  Here  Charles  James  Fox,  the 
eminent  orator  and  statesman  (born  1749,  died  1806) , 
passed  many  of  his  earlier  years ;  here  also  Joseph 
Addison,  the  poet  and  essayist,  died  in  the  year  1719. 
The  Albert  Hall,  Albert  Memorial,  Albert 
Bridge,  and  Albert  Palace,  each  preserve  the 
memory  of  the  Prince  Consort,  whose  death  took 
place  in  1861.  The  Crystal  Palace,  opened  by  the 
Queen,  June  10,  1854,  derived  its  title  from  its  glass 
structure,  which,  when  the  sun  shines  upon  it,, 
glistens  like  crystal.  The  Alexandra  Palace  was- 
named  after  the  Princess  of  Wales,  who  was  to  have 
opened  the  original  buildipg,  May  24,  1873 ;  but,  for 
some  unexplained  reason,  she  did  not  perform  that 
ceremony.  Olympia,  opened  December,  1886,  is 
an  appropriate  designation  for  a  huge  edifice  emi- 
nently adapted  for  every  variety  of  popular  amuse* 
ment.  The  allusion  is,  of  course,  to  Olympus,  where 
the  celebrated  "  Olympian  Games  "  were  anciently 
held  every  fourth  year.  The  Polytechnic  Insti- 
tution, Regent  Street  (now  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.),  was 
designated,  in  strict  conformity  with  its  set  purpose 
as  an  educational  establishment,  viz.,  from  the  two 
Greek  words  polns,  many,  and  techne,  an  art.  St* 
George's  Hall  was  originally,  when  opened  in 
1867,  St.  George's  Opera  House,  so  styled  because 
situated  in  the  fashionable  parish  of  St.  George's, 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  225 

Hanover  Square.  The  Egyptian  Hall,  built  in 
1812,  is  a  particularly  well  -  chosen  title;  at 
least,  it  appears  so  at  the  present  day,  since  the 
regular  performances  of  those  modern  magicians, 
Messrs.  Maskelyne  and  Cooke,  have  long  ago 
become  one  of  the  institutions,  if  not  actually  one 
of  the  sights,  of  the  Metropolis.  St.  James's 
Hall  was  named  after  the  parish  church  just 
opposite.  Willis's  Rooms,  so  called  after  their  late 
proprietor,  were  originally  opened  by  a  Scotsman 
named  Almack,  under  the  style  of  Almack's  As- 
sembly Rooms,  February  12,  1765.  Exeter  Hall 
was  built  in  the  year  1830  in  the  grounds  of  Exeter 
House,  which  also  gave  the  name  to  Exeter 
'Change,  erected  in  1680  and  pulled  down  in  1829 
[see  EXETER  STREET]  .  The  world-famous  waxworks 
exhibition  known  as  Madame  Tussaud's  retains 
the  name  of  its  foundress  (born  1760,  died  1850)  who 
first  set  up  her  figures  at  the  old  Lyceum  Theatre 
in  1802,  and  after  undergoing  a  variety  of  mis- 
fortunes settled  down  permanently  in  Baker  Street 
in  the  year  1833. 

Scotland  Yard,  the  headquarters  of  the  Metro- 
politan Police,  received  its  name  from  an  ancient 
palace  erected  on  this  spot  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  Scottish  kings  in  the  days  when  they  were 
annually  required  to  pay  homage  to  the  Crown  of 
England  at  Westminster.  The  first  monarch  so  ac- 
commodated was  Kenneth  II.  (died  854) ;  the  last 
was  Margaret,  Queen  of  Scots,  the  sister  of  Henry 
VIII.  Lord's  Cricket  Ground,  familiarly  styled 

15 


226  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

Lord's,  owes  its  existence  to  Thomas  Lord,  who 
established,  upon  land  of  his  own,  first  on  the  site  of 
Dorset  Square  in  1780,  and  subsequently  on  its 
present  site,  the  only  cricketing  ground  where 
genteel  players  could  meet  to  enjoy  this  game  with- 
out fear  of  rubbing  shoulders  with  the  City  ap- 
prentices. Previous  to  his  enterprise  the  formation 
of  a  private  Cricket  Club  had  never  been  thought  of. 
Tattersall's,  the  well-known  rendezvous  for  the  sale 
of  horses,  was  opened  by  Richard  Tattersall  near 
Hyde  Park  Corner  in  1766,  and  removed  to  Knights- 
bridge  April  10,  1865. 

Lloyd's  Rooms,  better  known  as  Lloyd's,  de- 
rived this  title  from  Edward  Lloyd,  a  coffee-house 
keeper  in  Abchurch  Lane,  whose  premises  became 
the  regular  resort  of  merchants  and  others  interested 
in  shipping.  The  original  location  of  a  special  office 
for  the  transaction  of  mercantile  business  over  the 
Royal  Exchange  took  place  in  1775  ;  but  the  name 
of  the  genial  coffee-house  keeper  was  by  common 
consent  transferred  with  it.  On  the  destruction  by 
fire  of  the  first  Royal  Exchange,  in  1838,  "  Lloyd's  " 
was  temporarily  removed  until  the  completion  of 
the  present  building  in  1844. 

The  entrance  to  the  privileged  precincts  of  the 
Stock  Exchange  is  called  Capel  Court,  because  it 
marks  the  residence  of  Sir  William  Capel,  Lord 
Mayor  of  London  in  the  year  1504.  The  term  Ex- 
change owes  its  origin  to  the  French  echanger,  to 
trade,  to  barter.  The  object  of  the  original  Royal 
Exchange,  founded  by  Sir  Thomas  Gresham  in 


London  Churches  and  Buildings.  227 

1506  and  opened  by  Queen  Elizabeth  amid  sundry 
public  rejoicings  over  the  event  (which  accounts  for 
the  prenomen  "  Royal")*  January  31,  1571,  was  to 
provide  a  convenient  place  where  the  merchants, 
tankers,  and  brokers  of  the  City  could  meet  through- 
out the  day  for  the  transaction  of  business.  The 
Stock  Exchange  is  the  great  money  mart  of  the 
world  [see  STOCK  in  the  article  "  MONEY  "]« 

The  Bankers'  Clearing  House,  in  Lombard 
Street,  is  the  establishment  where  all  cheques, 
drafts,  and  bills  drawn  upon  the  various  bankers 
are  sorted,  distributed,  and  balanced  up.  The 
Eailway  Clearing  House,  adjoining  Euston 
Railway  Station,  is  a  similar  establishment  devoted 
to  the  adjustment  of  the  value  represented  by  the 
tickets  issued  by  the  different  Railway  Companies. 
In  conclusion,  the  title  of  Mansion  House,  though 
somewhat  suggestive  of  tautology,  may  be  accepted 
as  denoting  the  house  of  all  other  houses,  since  it  is 
the  official  residence  of  the  Lord  Mayor. 


CLASS  NAMES  AND  NICKNAMES. 

AN  unmarried  female  originally  received  the 
designation  of  Spinster  from  her  employ- 
ment at  the  distaff  or  spindle.  According  to 
the  practical  notions  of  our  Anglo-Saxon  forefathers, 
a  female  was  not  considered  fit  to  enter  the  married 
state  until  she  had  made  for  herself  a  complete  set  of 
body,  bed,  and  table-linen.  Hence  the  significance  of 
the  term  Wife,  derived  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  wif,  by 
virtue  of  the  verb  wyfan,  to  weave.  Widow  comes 
through  the  Anglo-Saxon  widuwe,  and  Latin  vida, 
from  the  Sanskrit  vid-hava,  without  husband.  Grass 
Widow,  denoting  a  woman  temporarily  separated 
from  her  husband,  is  a  corruption  of  "  Grace  Widow" 
— in  other  words,  a  widow  by  grace,  or  courtesy.  The 
word  Chaperon  is  French,  derived  from  the  chapeau, 
or  cap,  worn  by  the  duennas  of  Spain.  Duenna, 
signifying  a  guardian,  is  Spanish,  founded  upon  the 
Latin  domina,  a  mistress.  The  title  of  Dowager, 
which  distinguishes  a  widow  left  with  a  jointure  from 
the  wife  of  her  late  husband's  heir,  comes  from  the 
t,  built  upon  the  verb  rfcwazre,  to 


Class  Names  and  Nicknames.  229 

dower.  The  name  of  Blue  Stocking  arose  from 
the  colour  of  the  stockings  worn  by  the  members  of 
the  lady  clubs  in  England  during  the  days  of  Bos- 
well.  Gentlemen  were  not  excluded  from  these 
assemblies,  but  the  wearing  of  blue  stockings  was  a 
sine  qua  non  of  admittance-  The  last  surviving  member 
of  the  original  BLUE  STOCKING  CLUB,  founded  by  Mrs. 
Montague  in  1780,  died  in  1840.  The  earliest  Blue 
Stocking  assembly  came  into  existence  at  Venice, 
under  the  title  of  Delia  Calza  in  the  year  1400.  A 
lady's-maid  is  familiarly  styled  an  Abigail,  in  allu- 
sion to  the  handmaid  who  introduced  herself  to 
David  (i  Samuel  xxv.  23).  This  class-name  came 
into  particular  prominence  during  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  in  compliment  to  Abigail  Hill,  the 
maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Mashem,  the  waiting-woman 
of  Queen  Anne.  A  Parisian  shop  or  work-girl  is 
known  as  a  Grisette  on  account  of  the  grey  cloth 
of  which  her  dress  is  made.  In  olden  times  all 
inferior  classes  in  France  were  expected  to  be  clad 
in  gris,  i.e.,  grey.  Colleen  is  the  native  Irish  for 
girl  ;  and  Colleen  Bawn  for  a  blonde  girl.  How 
little  the  latter  expression  is  understood  by  actresses 
is  shown  by  the  way  in  which  some  of  them  essay  to 
impersonate  (?)  the  heroine  of  Dion  Boucicault's 
well-known  drama  whilst  wearing  their  own  dark 
hair  or  a  dark  wig.  Truly,  a  little  knowledge  is  a 
useful  thing  ! 

As  nowadays  comprehended,  a  Milliner  is  one  who 
retails  hats,  feathers,  bonnets,  ribbons,  and  similar 
appurtenances  to  female  costume.  The  name  is  really 


230  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

a  corruption  of  Milaner,  alluding  to  the  city  of  Milan, 
which  at  one  time  set  the  fashion  to  the  north  of 
Europe  in  all  matters  of  taste  and  elegance. 
Haberdasher  is  a  modern  form  of  the  Old  English 
word  Hapertaser,  or  a  retailer  of  hapertas  cloth,  the 
width  of  which  was  settled  by  Magna  Charta, 
Grocer  is  a  contraction  and  modified  spelling  of 
Engrosser,  the  denomination  of  a  tradesman  who, 
in  the  Middle  Ages,  claimed  a  monopoly  for  the 
supply  of  provisions.  A  vendor  of  vegetables  is  ap- 
propriately called  a  Greengrocer.  An  innkeeper 
is  facetiously  styled  a  Boniface  in  honour  of  a 
devout  and  hospitable  man  whom  St.  Augustine 
caused  to  be  canonized,  and  who  subsequently 
became  the  patron  saint  of  Germany.  Shakespeare, 
Dante,  Bacon,  and  Lamb  never  tired  of  referring  to 
Boniface.  Ostler  is  a  corruption  of  the  French 
hostelier,  an  innkeeper ;  hence  we  sometimes  speak 
of  an  inn  as  a  HOSTELRY.  The  term  Carpenter, 
from  the  Latin  carpentttm,  a  waggon,  originally 
denoted  a  mechanic  who  constructed  the  wooden 
body  of  a  vehicle  of  any  kind,  as  distinguished  from 
the  Wheelwright ;  but  in  process  of  time  the  same 
term  came  to  be  applied  to  artificers  in  timber 
generally.  The  provincial  name  for  such  a  one  is 
a  Joiner,  literally  a  joiner  of  wooden  building 
materials.  In  some  districts  of  England  a  shoe- 
maker still  bears  the  name  of  Cordwainer., 
Formerly  all  shoemakers  were  styled  Cordwainers, 
because  they  were  workers  in  CORDWAIN,  a  corrup- 
tion of  CORDOVAN,  which  was  the  name  of  a 


Class  Names  and  Nicknames.  231 

particular  kind  of  leather  brought  from  Cordova. 
The  designation  Tailor  is  an  Anglicized  form  of 
the  French  Tailleur,  derived  from  the  verb  tattler, 
to  cut.  [For  Tallyman  see  TALLY,  in  the  article 
"  MONEY."]  A  Pawnbroker  is  familiarly  called 
Uncle,  in  perpetuation  of  an  ancient  pun  on  the 
Latin  word  wicus,  a  hook.  For,  whereas  in  modern 
times  the  spout  is  employed  as  a  means  of  commu- 
nication between  the  pawnshop  and  the  store-rooms 
overhead,  the  Roman  pawnbrokers  used  a  large 
hook ;  and  accordingly,  the  expression  "  Gone  to 
the  uncus,"  was  equivalent  to  our  slang  phrase  "  Up 
the  spout."  A  Barber  derives  his  class-title  from 
the  Latin  barba,  a  beard.  Rude  and  semi-civilized 
tribes  were  anciently  called  Barbarians  wholly  on 
account  of  their  unkempt  appearance.  Between  the: 
fourteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  the  hairdressers 
of  this  country  combined  the  practice  of  surgery, 
and  were  accordingly  styled  Barber-Surgeons.. 
The  surviving  "  Barber's  Pole  "  attests  this  fact. 
The  separation  of  the  two  professions  took  place 
in  1540. 

A  shepherd  or  an  ideal  farmer  bears  the  poetical 
description  of  an  Arcadian,  in  allusion  to  the 
Arcadians,  who  were  a  pastoral  people.  A  friendly 
adviser  is  designated  a  Mentor,  in  memory  of  the 
wise  and  faithful  counsellor  of  Telemachus  so  named. 
The  word  Usher  signifies  a  doorkeeper,  agreeably 
to  the  Old  French  huisher,  a  door.  Bachelor  comes 
from  the  Welsh  bach,  small,  young.  This  name 
originally  meant  one  inexperienced  in  anything. 


232  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

The  title  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  denotes  a  degree 
next  below  that  of  Master  of  Arts. 

Beefeaters  is  a  vulgar  perversion  of  Buffetiers,  as 

the  Yeoman  of  the  Guard  were  styled  during  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  on  account  of  their  attendance 
upon  the  King's  Buffet,  or  side-table.  The  word 
BUFFET  is  French,  derived  from  the  Spanish  bufia,  a 
wineskin.  The  civic  guardians  of  law  and  order  are 
denominated  Police  in  accordance  with  the  Latin 
polis,  the  city.  For  many  years  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Police  through  the  measures  of  Sir 
Robert  Peel  (in  Ireland,  as  the  national  constabulary 
in  1814;  in  London  as  a  regular  force  in  1829),  all 
Policemen  were  nicknamed  Bobbies  and  Peelers, 
in  allusion  to  their  founder.  Bow  Street  Runners 
were  the  original  London  detective  force  ;  so  called 
because  their  headquarters  was  Bow  Street,  whence 
they  were  despatched  to  any  part  of  the  country  in 
quest  of  the  perpetrator  of  a  particular  crime.  The 
predecessors  of  the  Police  were  a  set  of  decrepit  old 
watchmen  whose  regular  habit  was  to  fall  asleep  in 
their  boxes  with  their  lanthorns  beside  them.  These 
were  derisively  nicknamed  Old  Charlies ;  while 
their  natural  enemies,  who  loved  nothing  so  much  as 
to  turn  their  boxes  upon  them,  to  molest  defenceless 
females,  mutilate  males,  and  in  many  other  ways  to 
terrorize  the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  the  Metropolis, 
styled  themselves  first  of  all  Scourers,  and  at  a 
later  date  Mohocks,  after  the  North  American 
Indian  tribe  of  that  name.  During  the  years  1859 
and  1860  an  even  more  grievous  terror  haunted  the 


Class  Names  and  Nicknames.  233 

streets  of  London  in  the  persons  of  The  Garrotters, 
so  called  from  the  Garrotte,  the  instrument  with 
which  condemned  malefactors  are  strangled  in  Spain. 
The  punishment  of  the  "  cat  o'  nine  tails  "  for 
"  Garrotting,"  which  came  into  operation  July  13, 
1861,  speedily  put  an  end  to  the  practice.  The 
latest  terror  of  the  streets  which,  unhappily,  abounds 
in  American  cities,  are  the  Sandbaggers,  so  called 
because  they  stun  their  victims  with  an  ordinary 
sand-bag,  such  as  is  used  to  keep  the  draught  from 
penetrating  between  a  pair  of  window-sashes ;  after 
which  robbery  becomes  an  easy  matter. 

Pleasanter  it  is  to  turn  from  the  birds  of  night  to 
the  fops  and  dandies  by  day.  The  word  Fop  comes 
from  the  German  foppen,  to  make  a  fool  of ;  and 
Dandy  from  the  French  dandin,  a  ninny.  Between 
these  two  poor  specimens  of  humanity  there  is  no 
perceptible  difference.  The  Macaronies  of  the  last 
century  derived  their  designation  from  the  fashionable 
"  Macaroni  Clubs  "  to  which  they  belonged.  The 
modern  class-title  of  Masher  finds  its  origin  in  the 
Romany  or  gipsy  word  mdsha,  signifying  "  to  fasci- 
nate the  eye."  En  passant,  the  term  Gipsy  is  a 
corruption  of  Egyptian,  so  called  because  the 
original  family  or  tribe  of  low  caste  Hindoos  ex- 
pelled by  Timour  about  the  year  1399  eventually 
travelled  into  Europe  by  way  of  Egypt.  The  Gipsies 
were  also  in  former  times  known  as  Bohemians, 
from  the  district  in  which  they  first  attracted  popular 
attention  before  they  scattered  themselves  over 
Western  Europe.  Hence,  any  individual  whose 


234  Names  :    and  their  Meaning. 

habits  are  unconventual,  and  to  a  certain  extent 
nomadic,  is  styled  a  Bohemian.  The  name  of 
The  Upper  Ten  applied  to  the  aristocracy,  is 
short  for  "The  Upper  Ten  Thousand,"  a  term  ori- 
ginally applied  by  N.  P.  Willis,  the  American  poet 
(born  1807,  died  1867),  to  the  fashionables  of  New 
York  who,  at  the  time  he  introduced  it,  numbered 
about  ten  thousand.  A  distinctly  latter-day  expres- 
sion conveying  much  the  same  signification  is  The 
Four  Hundred,  by  which  we  are  left  to  conclude 
that  the  "  select "  society  of  New  York  must  have 
undergone  a  considerable  weeding-out  during  the 
last  twenty  years. 

The  temperance  terms  Teetotal  and  Teetotaler 
originated  in  the  stuttering  exhortation  of  one 
Richard  Turner,  an  artizan  of  Preston,  who,  while 
addressing  a  meeting  of  abstainers  in  September, 
1833,  observed  that  "  Nothing  but  t-t-t-total  absti- 
nence will  do  !  "  Several  bodies  of  total  abstainers 
from  alcoholic  beverages  in  England  and  America 
style  themselves  Rechabites,  after  the  descendants 
of  Jonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab,  who  lived  in  tents  and 
foreswore  wine.  Others  rejoice  in  the  name  of 
Good  Templars,  after  the  Templars  of  old.  The 
Good  Templar  Movement  cannot  be  accurately 
described  as  a  crusade  against  drink ;  but  the 
League  of  the  Cross,  established  by  the  Roman 
Catholics  for  the  total  suppression  of  drunkenness, 
is,  in  title  and  in  fact,  one  of  the  most  powerful 
crusades  ever  distinguished  in  modern  times. 

A  sailor  is  called  a  Jack  Tar  owing  to  his  habitual 


Class  Names  and  Nicknames.  235 

contact  with  the  tar  on  the  ship's  tackling.  Long- 
shoreman is  a  corruption  of  alongshortman,  i.e.,  a 
wharfinger,  &c.  Navvy  is  a  contraction  of  Navi- 
gator, which  name  was  first  given  to  the  labourers 
employed  in  the  construction  of  canals  for  inland 
navigation.  A  cabman  is  popularly  styled  a  Jehu 
in  allusion  to  one  of  the  kings  of  Israel  noted  for 
his  furious  driving.  A  Jerry  Builder  is  so  called 
after  one  Jeremiah,  a  London  builder  who  amassed 
a  fortune  by  putting  up  houses  with  inferior  materials 
in  order  to  sell  them  at  a  large  profit.  A  Journey- 
man is  properly  one  who  hires  himself  out  to  work 
by  the  day,  agreeably  to  the  first  portion  of  the  word 
Jour,  the  French  for  day.  A  debt-collector  is  known 
as  a  Dun,  and  his  persistence  is  styled  "  Dunning,'* 
in  memory  of  Joe  Dun,  a  famous  bailiff  of  Lincoln, 
who  \vas  so  successful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties 
that  it  became  quite  customary  when  an  individual 
refused  to  pay  his  debts  to  exclaim,  "  Why  don't  you 
Dun  him  for  it  ?  "  which  was  tantamount  to  saying, 
"  Why  don't  you  send  Dim  to  arrest  him  ?  "  Whilst 
on  the  subject  of  law,  we  may  here  add  that  the  ex- 
pression A  Man  of  Straw,  employed  to  denote  a 
person  without  capital  or  means,  originated  in  the 
days  when  a  certain  class  of  men,  chiefly  ruined 
tradesmen,  found  it  a  profitable  occupation  to  hire 
themselves  out  as  witnesses  in  the  law  courts.  The 
recognized  mark  of  these  persons  was  a  wisp  of  straw 
protruding  from  their  shoes  ;  and  as  often  as  a  lawyer 
stood  in  need  of  a  convenient  witness  to  prove  his  case, 
he  knew  by  the  presence  of  "  a  pair  of  straw  shoes  " 


236  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

in  court  that  the  owner  of  the  said  shoes  would 
recollect  and  swear  to  any  incident  in  consideration 
of  a  fee. 

Costermonger  is  a  corruption  of  Costardmonger9 
a  seller  of  the  famous  costard  apple  introduced  into 
this  country  by  the  Dutch  in  1736.  Both  these  terms 
are  used  by  Shakespeare  ;  nevertheless,  they  bore  a 
totally  different  signification  in  his  time.  The  word 
Monger  comes  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  mongere,  one 
who  trades.  An  itinerant  salesman  in  the  olden 
time  was  styled  a  Pedlar,  in  accordance  with  the 
Latin  pedes,  the  feet,  because  he  travelled  on  foot ; 
whereas  Hawker  comes  from  the  German  hoken,  to 
carry  on  the  back,  to  retail.  Hawkers  and  Pedlars 
were  first  licensed  in  England  in  1698.  An  itinerant 
salesman  of  another  kind  is  known  as  a  Cheap  Jack 
on  account  of  the  word  "  cheap  "  which  is  Saxon  for 
market,  derived  from  ceapan,  to  buy.  A  travelling 
medicine-vendor  originally  received  the  nickname  of 
ftuack-doctor,  or  Quack,  from  Quacksalber,  the 
German  term  for  quicksilver,  because,  differing  from 
the  regular  practitioners,  he  resorted  to  mercury  and 
other  dangerous  ingredients.  At  times  a  Quack,  or 
any  other  individual  gifted  with  humorous  colloquial 
powers,  is  dubbed  a  Merry  Andrew,  in  allusion  to 
Andrew  Borde,  a  physician  of  the  time  of  Henry 
VIII. ,  noted  for  his  facetious  manners  and  sayings. 
Juggler  is  a  corruption  of  jongleur,  the  French 
designation  of  one  of  the  companions  of  the  trouba- 
dours, whose  business  it  was  to  supplement  the 
lyrical  accomplishments  of  the  latter  with  feats  of 


Class  Names  and  Nicknames.  237 

sleight-of-hand  and  other  tricks  for  the  amusement 
of  the  company.  A  Stump  Orator  is  properly  one 
who  delivers  a  speech  from  the  stump  of  a  tree ;  the 
literal  meaning  of  a  STUMP  SPEECH  being  thus 
explained. 

The  now  approbrious  name  of  Blackguard  was 
formerly  given  to  the  scullions  or  dirty  dependants  of 
the  English  Court  who  washed  out  the  saucepans, 
carried  coals  up  to  the  kitchens,  and  performed  other 
menial  duties.  As  the  "  Guards  of  Honour"  in  the 
Royal  Household  were  distinguished  by  their  fine 
appearance,  so  these  kitchen-men  were  equally  dis- 
tinguished by  their  grimy  appearance  ;  consequently 
the  latter  were  styled  "  Black  Guards/7  The  origin 
of  the  word  Scullion  was  the  Norman-French 
esculle,  a  porringer  or  dish.  The  place  where  the 
dishes  are  cleansed  is  still  called  a  SCULLERY,  while 
the  domestic  who  performs  such  work  bears  the 
name  of  Scullery  Maid.  A  rascal  or  sharper  is 
designated  a  Blackleg,  because  such  a  one  was 
generally  to  be  found  among  the  lower  orders  of 
turf  and  sporting  men  at  the  time  these  were  espe- 
cially characterized  by  the  wearing  of  black  top- 
boots.  A  Plunger  is  one  who  bets  heavily  either  on 
the  turf  or  at  the  gaming-table,  without  considera- 
tion for  the  risks  he  incurs.  A  Bookmaker  is  so 
called  because  he  arranges  his  book,  i.e.,  his  bets,  in 
such  a  manner  that  his  losses  and  gains  upon  each 
day's  racing  must  balance  themselves.  The  Book- 
maker who  absconds  after  a  race  in  order  to  avoid 
paying  those  who  have  entered  bets  with  him  and 


238  Names  :   and  their  Meaning. 

won  is  styled  a  Welsher,  in  allusion  to  the  thieving 
propensities  of  a  certain  race  of  people,  as  set  forth 
in  the  old  song,  which  begins,  "  Taffy  was  a  Welsh- 
man, Taffy  was  a  thief/'  &c.  The  word  Burglar 
is  made  up  of  the  Old  English  burgh,  a  borough, 
derived  from  the  German  burg,  a  fortified  place,  and 
the  French  lair,  a  thief;  the  allusion  being  that  such 
a  one  breaks  into  a  private  dwelling  for  purposes  of 
theft.  Down  to  a  comparatively  recent  date  the 
common  hangman  in  this  country  bore  the  nick- 
name of  Jack  Ketch,  really  a  corruption  of  Richard 
Jacquett,  to  whom  the  manor  of  Tyburn,  where  our 
malefactors  were  executed  prior  to  the  year  1783, 
belonged. 

A  native  of  London  is  popularly  styled  a 
Cockney,  pursuant  to  the  Old  English  cockeney, 
an  effeminate  person,  or  rather  one  who  has  been 
rendered  effeminate  by  the  luxuries  of  the  table ; 
this  term  tracing  its  origin  directly  from  the  Latin 
verb  coquere,  to  cook,  whence  we  have  the  Italian 
cuchina,  the  French  cuisine,  the  German  kiiche,  and 
the  English  kitchen.  A  popular  satiric  poem  of 
the  thirteenth  century,  entitled  "  The  Land  of 
Cockaygne," — i.e.,  Kitchen  Land,  draws  a  picture 
of  an  imaginary  Fool's  Paradise,  where  there  is 
nothing  but  eating  and  drinking,  where  care,  trouble, 
and  toil  find  no  place — a  desirable  country  for  those 
monks  of  the  Church  who  delight  in  the  pleasures 
of  the  table  rather  than  the  observance  of  their 
spiritual  exercises.  After  this  performance  the  term 
Cockaigne  or  Cockaygne  gradually  came  to  be 


Class  Names  and  Nicknames.  239 

applied  to  our  capital  city,  where  cockenies,  or  kitchen- 
servants,  abounded,  and  where  the  luxury  of  good 
living  was  supposed  to  attain  its  highest  development. 
A  raw  youth,  or  a  countryman  new  to  the  ways 
of  the  world,  is  dubbed  a  Greenhorn,  in  reference 
to  the  undeveloped  horns  of  a  young  ox ;  the  word 
" Green"  being  derived  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  grene, 
that  which  is  in  process  of  growing.  Nincompoop 
is  a  corruption  of  the  Latin  phrase  non  compos 
[mentis] ,  not  in  sound  mind.  A  person  of  defective 
mind  is  called  a  Lunatic,  from  the  Latin  luna,  the 
moon,  in  accordance  with  the  Roman  idea  that  the 
mind  was  affected  by  the  changes  of  the  moon.  A 
person  addicted  to  making  foolish  mistakes  is  styled 
a.  Dutchman,  in  allusion  to  the  dull  comprehensions 
supposed  to  be  possessed  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Low  Countries.  The  term  first  came  into  use  as  an 
epithet  of  derision  during  the  wars  with  Holland. 
A  Humbug  is  one  whose  representations,  though 
sounding  plausible  enough,  are  not  to  be  relied 
upon.  The  origin  of  this  word  is  as  follows :  In 
olden  timer  there  resided  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Mearns,  in  Scotland,  a  gentleman  of  landed 
property  whose  name  was  Hume,  and  whose  estate 
was  known  as  "  The  Bogue."  Owing  to  the  great 
falsehoods  which  this  "  Hume  of  the  Bogne"  was 
in  the  habit  of  relating  about  himself,  his  family, 
and  everything  connected  with  his  affairs,  it  became 
customary,  as  often  as  the  people  of  that  district 
heard  anything  at  all  remarkable  or  absurd  to  ex- 
claim, "That  is  a  Hume  of  the  Bogue."  The  word 


240  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

spelt  in  its  present  form  first  appeared  on  the  title- 
page  of  "The  Universal  Jester:  a  choice  collection 
of  bonmots  and  humbugs,"  published  by  Fernando 
Killigrew  about  the  year  1736.  The  assurance  that 
Humbug  is  of  such  old  date  can  scarcely  tend  to  our 
satisfaction. 


MALT  LIQUORS. 

AT  the  present  day  the  terms  Ale  and  Beer 
are  used  somewhat  confusedly.  The  former, 
derived  from  the  Latin  verb  alere,  to  nourish, 
is  the  real  name  of  our  national  beverage,  which,  to 
judge  from  its  intoxicating  effects,  must,  in  the  days 
of  our  forefathers  have  been  a  very  strong  drink 
indeed.  The  latter,  on  the  other  hand,  is  essentially 
a  Saxon  word,  modified  from  the  modern  German 
spelling  bier,  and  used  to  denominate  the  lighter 
kinds  of  fermented  liquors  generally,  as  well  as 
other  drinks  obtained  from  the  roots  or  leaves  of 
plants,  such  as  GINGER-BEER,  SPRUCE-BEER,  &c.  We 
still  speak  of  Old  Ales;  whereas  Small  Beer 
indicates  a  liquor  of  very  poor  quality. 

In  former  times  the  only  varieties  of  malt  liquor 
in  this  country  were  Ale  and  Beer,  the  one  strong, 
the  other  comparatively  weak.  To  these  a  third, 
popularly  described  as  Twopenny,  was  eventually 
added.  However,  it  was  rare  that  any  one  of  these 
three  was  demanded  singly;  it  being  the  custom, 
particularly  in  London,  for  the  working-classes  to 
call  either  for  Half-and-Half  or  Three  Thirds, 
meaning  a  tankard  filled  with  equal  portions  of  ale 

16 


242  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

and  beer,  or  of  ale,  beer,  and  twopenny.  This 
custom  remained  in  vogue  until  the  year  1730, 
when  it  occurred  to  Mr.  Harwood,  a  brewer  of  East 
London,  to  prepare  a  liquor  analogous  to  the  mix- 
ture of  ale,  beer,  and  twopenny ;  and  thus  save  the 
time  of  the  tavern-keepers,  who  were  compelled  to 
serve  each  customer  from  three  different  casks. 
Almost  immediately,  therefore,  he  introduced  the 
malt  liquor  known  as  Entire,  because  it  was  drawn 
entire  from  one  cask.  It  was  first  retailed  at  the 
sign  of  "The  Blue  Last,"  in  Curtain  Road,  Shore- 
ditch,  where  it  soon  came  to  be  in  active  demand 
by  the  City  porters,  who  made  this  house  their 
regular  resort,  whereupon  the  enterprising  publican 
adroitly  called  it  Porter.  The  word  "  Entire  "  still 
appears  upon  the  facia-boards  of  numerous  taverns 
throughout  the  Metropolis;  but  who  thinks  of  call- 
ing for  Entire  at  the  present  day  ?  By  the  term 
Stout  is  implied  a  malt  liquor  of  the  stoutest 
quality,  i.e.,  having  the  most  body  in  it. 

Stingo  expresses  an  old  beer  of  particular  sharp- 
ness, in  allusion  to  its  stinging  properties  ;  while 
Yorkshire  Stingo  is,  of  course,  peculiar  to  the ' 
county  of  York.  Originally  the  single  X  displayed 
on  beer-barrels  denoted  that  the  liquor  had  paid  a 
ten  shillings'  duty.  The  additional  X's  are  merely 
brewers'  trade-marks,  indicating  various  degrees  of 
strength  over  and  above  that  of  the  single  X  ale. 

Concerning  German  beers,  we  need  only  allude  to 
Mum,  or  Mumm,  which  is  peculiar  to  Brunswick, 
and  named  after  Christoph  Mumme,  who  first 


Malt  Liquors.  243 

brewed  it  in  1492  ;  Lager-Bier,  so  called  because  it 
is  kept  in  a  lager  or  cellar  ;  and  Bock-bier,  a  liquor 
which  causes  the  inconsiderate  tippler  to  caper  about 
like  a  bock,  or  goat. 


DIAMONDS    AND    PRECIOUS 
STONES. 

THE  word  Diamond  is  a  corruption  of,  and 
synonymous  with,  Adamant,  derived  from 
the    Greek  adamas,  untamable,    infrangible, 
not  to  be  subdued,  in  accordance  with  the  prefix  a> 
without,  and  damas,  to  tame,  to  subdue.     As  every 
one  must  be  aware,  the  diamond  is  capable  of  resist- 
ing fire. 

The  great  diamonds  of  the  world  are  the  following: — 
The  Kohinoor,  or  "  Mountain  of  Light,"  weighing 
106  carats,  came  into  the  possession  of  Queen 
Victoria  on  the  annexation  of  the  Punjaub  in  1849 ; 
the  Mattan  (367  carats)  belongs  to  the  Rajah  of 
Mattan  ;  the  Orloff  (194  carats)  preserves  the  family 
name  of  Catherine  II.  of  Russia,  who  purchased  it 
in  1775  ;  the  Shah  (86  carats),  presented  by  Chosroes 
L,  Shah  of  Persia,  who  died  in  the  year  579,  to  the 
Czar  of  Russia ;  the  Star  of  the  South  (254  carats), 
discovered  in  Brazil  by  a  poor  negress  in  1853 ;  the 
Sauci  (106  carats),  originally  the  property  of  a 
French  gentleman  of  this  name,  and  bought  by  the 
Russian  Czar  for  half  a  million  roubles  in  1835  >  the 
Regent,  also  known  as  the  Pitt  (137  carats),  first 


Diamonds  and  Precious  Stones.  245 

acquired  by  Mr.  Pitt,  the  grandfather  of  the  Earl 
of  Chatham,  and  subsequently  sold  to  the  Due 
d'Orleans,  Regent  of  France,  for  £"135,000 ;  the 
Pigott  (82 \  carats),  brought  from  India  by  Lord 
Pigott  sometime  previous  to  1818,  when  it  came  into 
the  possession  of  Messrs.  Rundell  and  Bridge ;  the 
Dudley  (44^  carats),  found  at  the  Cape  by  a  black 
shepherd  in  1868,  and,  after  various  changes  of 
ownership,  bought  by  the  Earl  of  Dudley  for 
£30,000 ;  and  the  Twin  Diamonds,  both  found  in 
the  bed  of  the  river  Vaal  at  the  Cape  in  1872. 

With  regard  to  precious  stones : — the  Turquois 
derived  its  name  from  Turkey,  where  it  was  first 
found ;  the  Topaz,  from  Topazos,  an  island  in  the 
Red  Sea;  and  the  Agate,  from  the  Greek  Achates,  a 
river  in  Sicily,  in  the  bed  of  which  it  was  anciently 
discovered.  The  term  Amethyst  comes  from  the 
Greek  afnetktistos,  a  precious  stone,  and  Opal,  through 
the  Latin  opalus,  from  the  Sanskrit  opula,  a  precious 
stone.  Emerald  traces  its  origin  through  the 
French  emerande  to  the  Latin  and  Greek  omaragdus ; 
Garnet,  through  the  French  grenat,  from  the  Latin 
granatus;  and  Ruby,  from  the  Latin  ruber,  red. 
Pearl  is  an  Anglo-Saxon  word  derived  from  the 
Latin  pirula,  a  diminutive  of  pear. 

We  may  conveniently  add  that  the  weight  of 
precious  stones,  as  well  as  that  of  gold,  is  regulated 
by  Carats,  because  formerly  carat  seeds,  or  the  seed 
of  the  Abyssinian  coral  flower  were  employed  for 
this  purpose. 


NAVAL    AND    MILITARY 
SOBRIQUETS. 

THE  Roman  Manlius  (appointed  Consul  in  the 
year  224  B.C.)  received1  the  name  of  Tor- 
quatus  from  the  incident  of  having  torn  the 
golden  tongue  or  collar  from  the  neck  of  his  adversary 
in  the  field.  Charles,  the  son  of  Pepin  d'Heristal, 
was  surnamed  Martel  in  recognition  of  his  victory 
over  the  Saracens,  who  attempted  the  invasion  of 
France  in  the  year  732.  According  to  the  chronicler, 
"  he  knocked  down  the  foe  and  crushed  them  between 
his  axe,  as  a  martel  or  hammer  crushes  what  it 
strikes."  Robert,  Duke  of  Normandy,  the  father  of 
William  the  Conqueror  (died  1035),  bore  the  name 
of  Robert  le  Diable,  or  Robert  the  Devil,  on 
account  of  his  courageous  cruelty  in  war.  The 
Scottish  outlaw,  Sir  William  Wallace  (born  1270,  be- 
headed 1305),  was  styled  The  Hammer  and  Scourge 
of  England  by  reason  of  his  patriotism.  William 
Douglas,  Lord  of  Nithsdale  (died  1390),  was  known 
as  Black  Douglas  because  his  frame  was  tall, 
strong,  and  well-built,  while  his  hair  was  dark  and 
his  complexion  swarthy.  Archibald  Douglas,  Earl 
of  Angus  (died  1514),  merited  the  sobriquet  of  Bell 


Naval  and  Military  Sobriquets.  247 

the  Cat  for  having  put  to  death  the  upstart  favourites 
of  James  III.,  and  so  prevented  the  creation  of 
nobles  out  of  architects  and  masons  whom  the  king 
particularly  patronized.  At  a  meeting  convened  in 
the  Church  of  Lander  by  the  Scottish  nobles  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  measures  to  obtain  the  removal 
of  these  persons,  Lord  Gray  had  put  the  question, 
"  But  who  will  bell  the  cat  ?  "  "  That  will  I  !  " 
answered  Douglas  on  the  instant ;  and  he  kept  his 
word,  for  in  the  very  presence  of  the  king  he  slew 
the  obnoxious  minions  with  his  own  hand. 

Richard  Nevil,  Earl  of  Warwick  (born  1420,  died 
1471),  was  surnamed  The  King  Maker  for  the 
reason  that  while  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
Yorkists,  Edward  IV.  succeeded  in  his  efforts  to  gain 
the  English  Crown ;  and  when,  subsequently,  he 
transferred  his  influence  to  the  Lancastrians,  Henry 
VI.  was  restored  and  the  usurper  deposed.  Harry 
Percy  (born  1364,  died  1403)  was  styled  Hotspur, 
and  Prince  Rupert  (born  1619,  died  1682)  The  Mad 
Cavalier  because  they  found  it  impossible  to 
restrain  their  rash  courage  in  time  of  war.  The 
soldiers  of  Cromwell,  after  the  Battle  of  Marston 
Moor,  received  the  popular  name  of  Ironsides  on 
account  of  their  armour  and  their  iron  resolution. 
The  sobriquet  of  The  Almighty  Nose  was  bestowed 
upon  Oliver  Cromwell  (born  1599,  died  1658),  in 
allusion  to  his  nasal  enormity.  Strange,  indeed, 
that  he  who  had  attained  to  the  highest  position  in 
the  land  by  the  sheer  force  of  arms  should  have  been 
so  continually  taunted  with  the  length  and  colour  of 


248  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

his  nose  !  Yet  so  it  was.  Nevertheless,  there  have 
been  others  whose  peace  of  mind  was  daily  threatened 
by  popular  malice  in  this  selfsame  respect.  Even 
the  great  Roman  poet  Ovid  suffered  a  lifelong 
martyrdom,  and  became  the  recipient  of  the  sobriquet 
of  Naso,  owing  to  the  possession  of  an  unusually 
large  nose ;  just  as  in  modern  times  Wilson,  the 
painter,  and  Cervetto,  the  violincellist  of  Drury  Lane 
Theatre,  never  succeeded  in  putting  their  heads  out 
of  their  own  doors  without  being  greeted  with  shouts 
of  "  Nosey!  "  from  the  mob. 

The  Duke  of  Cumberland  (born  1721,  died  1765) 
rightly  deserved  the  opprobrious  surname  of  The 
Bloody  Butcher  on  account  of  his  merciless 
slaughter  of  the  vanquished  adherents  of  the  Young 
Pretender  after  the  Battle  of  Culloden.  The  soldiers 
of  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  (born  1650,  died  1722) 
familiarly  styled  their  leader  Corporal  John  because 
he  had  risen  from  the  rank  of  Corporal ;  while 
General  Bonaparte,  afterwards  Emperor  of  the 
French  (born  1769,  died  1821),  bore  the  name  of 
The  Little  Corporal,  in  allusion  to  his  original 
rank,  his  low  stature,  youthful  appearance,  and 
extraordinary  courage.  As  most  readers  are  aware, 
Wellington  (born  1769,  died  1852)  earned  the  name 
of  The  Iron  Duke  by  his  iron  will  and  resolution  ; 
and  Blucher  (born  1742,  died  1819)  that  of  Marshal 
Forward,  by  his  dash  and  readiness  to  attack  the 
enemy  in  the  campaign  which  terminated  in  the 
Battle  of  Waterloo.  Prince  Bismarck,  the  late 
Chancellor  of  the  German  Empire  (born  1815)  owed 


Naval  and  Military  Sobriquets.  249 

his  surname  of  The  Iron  Chancellor  to  his  extra- 
ordinary vigour  and  indomitable  will.  Helmuth, 
Count  von  Moltke,  Field-Marshal  of  the  German 
armies  (born  1800,  died  1891),  was  popularly  surnamed 
Helmuth  the  Taciturn,  because  though  a  master 
of  half  a  dozen  languages,  he  was  never  known  to 
betray  his  plans  in  one  of  them.  The  sobriquet 
of  Stonewall  Jackson,  possessed  by  Thomas 
Jonathan  Jackson,  the  Confederate  General  in  the 
American  War  of  1861  to  1865,  originated  with 
General  Lee,  who,  after  rallying  his  troops  at  the 
Battle  of  Bull  Run,  exclaimed,  "  There  is  Jackson, 
standing  like  a  stone  wall !  "  A  less  complimentary 
sobriquet  bestowed  upon  General  Andrew  Jackson, 
President  of  the  United  States  (born  1767,  died 
1845),  by  his  own  soldiers,  was  that  of  Old 
Hickory,  in  allusion  to  his  tough,  unyielding  dis- 
position. The  circumstance  is  thus  commented 
upon  by  Parton,  the  author  of  Jackson's  Life  :  — 
"  The  name  of  Old  Hickory  was  not  an  instantaneous 
inspiration,  but  a  growth.  First  of  all,  the  remark 
was  made  by  some  soldier,  who  was  struck  with  his 
commander's  pedestrian  powers,  that  the  General 
was  tough.  Next,  it  was  observed  that  he  was  as 
tough  as  hickory.  Then  he  was  called  Hickory. 
Lastly,  the  affectionate  adjective  '  old '  was  pre- 
fixed, and  the  General  thenceforth  rejoiced  in  the 
completed  nickname,  usually  the  first-won  honour 
of  a  great  commander." 

Of  naval  sobriquets  we  shall  mention  only  three. 
Commodore  John  Byron,  the  circumnavigator  (born 


250  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

1723,  died  1786),  was  popularly  known  as  Foul 
Weather  Jack  because,  it  was  said,  he  never 
enjoyed  a  fine  passage  throughout  the  whole  of  his 
experience.  Admiral  Edward  Vernon  (born  1684, 
died  1757,  to  whom  reference  is  made  in  our  article 
on  "SPIRITS,"  was  called  Old  Grog,  from  his  habit  of 
wearing  grogram  breeches  in  "  dirty  weather." 
Admiral  Sir  Henry  Digby  received  his  well-known 
sobriquet  of  The  Silver  Captain  under  the  follow- 
ing interesting  circumstances : — On  the  October  14, 
1799,  when  commanding  the  frigate  Alcmene,  on  a 
cruise  off  the  Spanish  coast,  he  shaped  his  course 
for  Cape  St.  Vincent,  and  was  running  to  the  south- 
ward, in  the  latitude  of  Cape  Finisterre.  Twice 
during  the  night  he  rang  his  bell  to  summon  the 
officer  on  the  watch,  and  asked  him  if  any  person 
had  been  in  the  cabin.  "  No,  sir ;  nobody,"  was  the 
answer.  "  Very  odd,"  rejoined  Sir  Henry.  "Every 
time  I  dropped  asleep  I  heard  somebody  shouting  in 
my  ear,  '  Digby !  Digby !  go  to  the  northward ; 
Digby  !  Digby  !  go  to  the  northward !  '  I  shall  cer- 
tainly do  so.  Take  another  reef  in  your  topsails, 
haul  your  wind,  tack  every  hour  till  daybreak,  and 
then  call  me."  These  orders  were  strictly  carried 
out,  and  the  frigate  was  tacked  at  four,  at  five,  at  six, 
and  at  seven  o'clock.  She  had  just  come  round  for 
the  last  time  when  the  man  at  the  masthead  called 
out,  "  Large  ship  on  the  weather-bow,  sir  !  "  On 
nearing  her  a  musket  was  discharged  to  bring  her  to. 
She  was  quickly  boarded,  when  she  proved  to  be  a 
Spanish  vessel  laden  with  dollars,  in  addition  to  a 


Naval  and  Military  Sobriquets.  251 

large  cargo  of  cochineal  and  spices.  By  this 
capture,  therefore,  the  fortunate  dreamer  secured,  as 
his  (Captain's)  share  of  the  prize-money,  the  sum  of 
£40,730  i8s. ;  the  lieutenants  each  £5,091  73.  3d. ; 
the  warrant  officers  each  £2,468  los.  g|-d. ;  the  mid- 
shipmen each  £791  175.  o^d. ;  and  the  seamen  and 
marines  each  £182  148.  g^d.  The  captured  treasure 
was  said  to  have  been  so  weighty  that  sixty-three 
artillery  tumbrils  had  to  be  requisitioned  for  the  pur- 
pose of  transporting  it  from  the  vessel  to  Plymouth 
Citadel. 


MONEY. 

THE  word  Money  owes  its  existence  to 
Moneta,  one  of  the  surnames  of  Juno,  in 
whose  temple  the  first  coinage  of  the  Romans 
took  place.  Mint  claims  the  same  etymology,  being 
a  contraction  of  the  Latin  moneta  9  brought  about 
through  the  Anglo-Saxon  my  net.  By  Sterling 
Money  is  meant  the  standard  coin  of  Great  Britain, 
and  for  this  reason  : — During  the  reign  of  King  John 
the  merchants  of  the  Hansa  Towns,  of  which  the 
inhabitants  were  commonly  described  as  Esterlings, 
because  they  resided  in  the  eastern  portions  of 
Germany,  having  long  been  noted  for  the  purity  of 
their  coinage,  the  king  invited  a  number  of  them 
over  to  this  country  for  the  purpose  of  reforming 
and  perfecting  our  coinage.  The  invitation  was 
accepted ;  and  ever  afterwards  good  English  money 
received  the  name  of  Esterling  or  sterling  money. 

A  Guinea  was  an  English  gold  piece  first  struck 
in  1663  out  of  gold  brought  from  the  coast  of  Guinea, 
West  Africa.  Its  value  has  been  subject  to  fluctua- 
tions at  different  periods.  Thus,  in  1663  it  was 
worth  2os.  ;  in  1695,  305.;  in  1717,  2is.  ;  in  1810, 
22s.  6d. ;  and  in  1816,  26s.  The  coinage  of  guineas 


Money.  2  53 

was  discontinued  July  i,  1817.  A  Sovereign  is  so 
called  because  when  originally  coined,  during  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIIL,  it  bore  a  representation  of 
that  sovereign  in  his  royal  robes.  A  Crown-piece 
when  first  introduced  displayed  a  crown  on  its  reverse 
side.  The  Florin  took  its  name  from  Florence,  in 
which  city  it  was  struck  as  long  ago  as  the  thirteenth 
century.  Its  reverse  side  has  always  borne  a  repre- 
sentation of  a  lily,  emblematical  of  "  The  City  of 
Flowers."  The  term  Shilling  traces  its  origin  in  the 
Anglo-Saxon  stilling,  the  Icelandic  skillinge,  and  the 
Gothic  skilliggs,  in  each  case  denoting  the  twentieth 
part  of  a  pound,  as  at  present.  A  Penny,  so  called 
from  the  Anglo-Saxon  penig,  and  Danish  pennig 
(whence  the  modern  German  Phennig  has  been 
derived),  originally  denoted  a  copper  coin  of  full 
value  ;  a  Halfpenny,  the  half  of  a  penny ;  and  a 
Farthing,  agreeably  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  feodha,  a 
fourth,  a  penny  divided  into  four  parts.  We  must 
not  omit  to  mention  that  in  olden  times  only  penny- 
pieces  were  struck ;  and  these  were  deeply  indented 
in  the  form  of  a  cross — exactly,  in  fact,  after  the 
manner  of  our  Good  Friday  buns  ;  so  that  when  half- 
pennies or  farthings  were  required  the  pennies  could 
be  broken  into  two  or  four  portions  without 
difficulty. 

Among  coins  other  than  those  now  current  in  this 
country  we  may  mention  the  Ducat,  or  Duke's 
Money,  specially  struck  for  circulation  in  the  Duchy 
of  Apulia  in  the  year  1140,  and  which  bore  this 
beautiful  inscription  :  "  Sit  tibi  Christi,  datus,  quern 


254  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

tu  regis,  iste  ducatus  "  ("  May  this  duchy  which 
You  rule  be  devoted  to  You,  O  Christ ")  ;  and  the 
Noble,  so  called  on  account  of  the  superiority  of  its 
gold.  During  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  this  gold  piece 
found  its  way  into  England  under  the  name  of  Rose- 
Noble,  owing  to  the  impression  of  a  rose  on  its 
reverse  side;  but  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII., 
simultaneous  with  the  substitution  of  the  figure  of 
St.  George,  it  was  designated  a  George-Noble. 
The  value  of  this  coin  at  both  periods  was  six-and- 
eightpence.  The  current  value  of  an  Angel,  so 
styled  from  the  angel  on  its  reverse  side,  was,  when 
introduced  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI.,  six-and-eight- 
pence ;  but  at  the  accession  of  Elizabeth  it  had 
increased  to  ten  shillings. 

The  Thistle-crown  of  James  VI.  of  Scotland 
(James  I.  of  England),  value  four  shillings,  was  so 
called  because  it  had  a  rose  on  one  side  and  a  thistle 
on  the  other;  both  surmounted  by  a  crown.  The 
Scottish  sovereign  of  this  period  was  styled  a 
Jacobus,  the  Latinized  form  of  the  King's  name. 
After  the  union  of  the  two  countries  it  became,  of 
course,  current  in  England  also ;  but  in  the  two  suc- 
ceeding reigns  it  was  denominated  a  Carollus,  the 
Latinized  description  of  Charles.  A  French  gold 
coin  long  current  in  Scotland  was  the  Dolphin, 
which  derived  its  name  from  the  fact  of  its  introduc- 
tion by  Charles  V.,  who  was  also  Dauphin  of 
Vienne.  The  French  Louis  (Tor  literally  signi- 
fied the  gold  of  King  Louis,  which  coin  was  at 
length  superseded  by  the  Napoleon,  during  the 


Money.  255 

consulate  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  The  Franc 
originally  denoted  the  silver  coin  of  the  Franks. 
The  term  Dollar  is  a  British  modification  of  the 
German  Thaler,  an  abbreviation  of  Joachim's- 
Thaler ;  by  which  was  implied  a  piece  of  money 
struck  out  of  the  silver  discovered  in  the  Thai,  or 
Valley,  of  St.  Joachim,  France,  about  the  year  1518. 
The  silver  drawn  from  this  valley  being  of  superior 
quality,  it  was  coined  into  ounce  pieces,  which 
received  the  name  of  Joachims-Thalers ;  but  all 
other  ounce  pieces  subsequently  struck  from  silver 
obtained  elsewhere  were  simply  called  Thalers. 
The  Kreuzer,  now  superseded,  owed  its  name  to  the 
cross  on  its  reverse  side. 

Wood's  Halfpence  was  the  designation  of  an 
inferior  copper  coinage  circulated  in  Ireland  by  a 
certain  William  Wood,  under  a  patent  granted  to 
him  by  George  I.  The  withdrawal  of  the  patent 
was  eventually  procured  owing  to  the  denunciations 
of  Dean  Swift  in  the  mysterious  "Drapier's  Letters." 
The  legal  tender  notes  of  the  United  States  are 
commonly  styled  Greenbacks,  from  the  colour  of 
the  device  imprinted  on  the  back  of  them.  Bank  of 
England  notes  formerly  bore  the  name  of  Abraham 
Newlands  from  the  signature  of  the  chief  cashier. 
Bullion,  so  called  from  the  Latin  bulla,  rounded  by 
art,  is  the  technical  description  of  gold  and  silver 
rounded  into  bars,  and  stored  in  the  strong  rooms  of 
the  Bank  of  England  in  readiness  for  coinage  or  for 
disposal  to  foreign  Governments  in  that  convenient 
form.  Money  vested  in  Government  securities  is 


256  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

known  as  Stock,  or  Government  Stock,  in  allusion 
to  the  origin  of  the  term,  viz.,  the  Anglo-Saxon 
stocc,  a  trunk,  a  stick ;  because  prior  to  the  year  1782, 
when  the  practice  was  abolished,  the  official  acknow- 
ledgment of  money  received  on  behalf  of  the  Govern- 
ment was  written  on  both  sides  of  a  broad  piece  of 
wood,  which  was  then  cut  in  two ;  and  the  one  por- 
tion, called  the  Stock,  was  delivered  to  the  person 
lending  the  money,  the  Counterstock  being  retained 
at  the  Tally  Office.  The  instrument  of  reckoning 
in  this  manner  was  styled  the  Tally,  in  accordance 
with  the  French  verb  tailler,  to  cut ;  while  the  cor- 
respondence of  the  Stock  and  Counterstock,  or,  in 
other  words,  the  two  portions  of  the  Tally,  furnished 
the  origin  of  the  modern  phrase  "  to  tally/'  as  well 
as  the  designation  TALLYMAN,  or  a  trader  who  lets 
out  goods,  principally  clothing,  on  the  system  of  pay- 
ment by  weekly  instalments.  The  word  Consols  is 
a  contraction  of  "  Consolidated  Annuities,"  or  the 
founded  portion  of  the  National  Debt.  The  fund 
which  provides  for  the  annual  reduction  of  the  latter 
is  styled  the  Sinking  Fund.  The  French  State 
Loans  known  as  Tontines  perpetuate  the  name  of 
Lawrence  Tonti,  a  Neapolitan  protege  of  Cardinal 
Mazarine,  who  projected  the  scheme  in  1653.  The 
annual  statement  by  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
of  the  finances  of  this  country  is  called  the  Budget, 
agreeably  to  the  French  bougetta,  a  little  bag  ;  because 
formerly  the  various  documents  were  presented  to 
Parliament  in  a  leathern  bag. 


SPIRITS. 

RUM  is  a  native  West  Indian  term  for  a  spirit 
distilled  from  cane-juice  ;  Whisky  is  an 
English  rendering  of  the  Irish  Uisque- 
baugh,  derived  from  the  two  Gaelic  words,  tiisque, 
water,  andfeatha,  life;  Brandy  is  a  contraction  of 
the  Old  English  brandwine,  literally  burnt  wine; 
while  Gin  is  short  for  Geneva,  where  this  spirit  was 
first  distilled.  Hollands  is  the  popular  English 
name  for  Dutch  gin.  Cognac,  a  French  brandy  of 
the  best  quality,  owes  its  designation  to  the  town 
of  which  it  forms  the  staple  industry ;  and  Nantes 
to  the  port  where  it  is  shipped.  Old  Tom  was 
named  after  Tom  Chamberlain,  the  senior  partner 
in  Messrs.  Hodges'  well-known  distillery. 

The  term  Punch  traces  its  origin  to  the  Hindoo 
pautsch,  signifying  five,  because  this  favourite  con- 
coction originally  consisted  of  five  ingredients,  viz., 
arrack,  sugar,  tea,  lemons,  and  water;  whereas 
Toddy  is  a  western  corruption  of  taudi,  the  native 
Hindoo  name  for  palm-juice.  The  word  Grog 
perpetuates  the  memory  of  "  Old  Grog,"  the  nick- 
name of  Admiral  Edward  Vernon,  who  first  ordered 
his  sailors  to  dilute  their  rum  with  water  [see  OLD 
GROG]. 


258  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

Scotch  whisky  is  usually  styled  Mountain  Dew, 

from  the  fact  that  in  former  times  it  was  often  dis- 
tilled in  the  mountains  in  order  to  escape  the  watch- 
fulness of  the  excise  officers.  The  superior  Scotch 
whisky,  known  as  Glenlivet  derives  its  name  from 
the  district  in  which  it  is  distilled.  The  popular 
LL  Whisky  originated  under  the  following  cir- 
cumstances :  When  the  Duke  of  Richmond  was 
Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland,  he  one  day,  in  the  year 
1807,  sent  to  various  Dublin  distilleries  for  samples 
of  their  best  whisky  ;  and  preferring  that  furnished 
by  Messrs.  Kinahan,  his  Grace  ordered  a  large  vat 
in  which  this  particular  quality  of  the  spirit  was 
kept  to  be  reserved  for  his  own  use.  Accordingly,  the 
letters  "  LL,"  signifying  Lord  Lieutenant,  were 
painted  on  the  vat ;  and  ever  since  Messrs.  Kina- 
han's  whisky  of  the  same  quality  has  borne  the 
name  of  "  LL  Whisky." 


LONDON  STREETS  AND  SQUARES. 


STREET  received  its  name  from  the 

r  Fleet,  once  a  swift-flowing  stream,  now 
converted  into  a  sewer.  Mitre  Court, 
Falcon  Court,  and  Red  Lion  Court  were  desig- 
nated after  old  taverns  respectively  bearing  these 
signs.  Bolt  Court  was  so  called  from  the  "  Bolt- 
in-Tun,"  an  ancient  coaching-house,  transformed 
into  a  railway  goods  receiving  office  standing  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  way.  Johnson's  Court  did 
not  receive  its  title  from  Dr.  Johnson,  who  lived  in 
it  for  some  time,  but  from  the  owner  of  the  property* 
Wine  Office  Court  originally  contained  an  office 
where  wine  licences  were  issued.  Shoe  Lane  re- 
ceived this  designation  from  the  traditional  account 
that  when  the  Devil  ran  away  with  Lady  Hatton 
[see  HATTON  GARDEN]  he  dropped  one  of  her  shoes 
in  Shoe  Lane  and  her  cloak  in  Cloak  Lane, 
near  Cannon  Street.  St,  Bride  Street  and  Bride 
Lane  owe  their  names  to  the  Church  of  St. 
Bride  close  by.  Salisbury  Court  occupies  the 
site  of  an  ancient  palace  of  the  Bishops  of  Salis- 
bury. Dorset  Street  and  Dorset  Buildings 
•carry  us  back  in  fancy  to  the  Dorset  Gardens 


260  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

Theatre,  erected  in  the  grounds  attached  to  the 
residence  of  the  Earl  of  Dorset  in  the  early  days  of 
the  Restoration.  Whitefrairs  Street  marks  the 
western  boundary  of  the  monastery  of  the  Car- 
melites, or  White  Friars,  built  in  1245.  The  whole 
district  of  Whitefriars  formerly  comprised  a  Sanc- 
tuary infested  by  debtors  and  lawbreakers  ;  on  which 
account  it  bore  the  name  of  Alsatia,  in  allusion  to 
the  French  province  of  Alsace,  long  notorious  for  its 
intestine  strife  and  political  disaffection.  Bridge 
Street  is  a  modern  thoroughfare  leading  to  Black- 
frairs  Bridge  and  Blackfriars  Road,  so  called 
from  the  monastery  of  the  Dominicans  or  Black 
Friars  established  on  the  site  of  Printing  House 
Square  and  the  Times  office,  about  the  year  1276. 
Water  Lane  was  originally  a  narrow  lane  winding 
down  to  the  Thames. 

Ludgate  Hill  derived  its  name  from  the  old 
Lud  Gate,  built  by  King  Lud  in  the  year  66  B.C.  on 
the  spot  where  the  London,  Chatham,  and  Dover 
Railway  now  crosses  this  busy  thoroughfare.  The 
gate  was  removed  in  1760.  La  Belle  Sauvage 
Yard  was  formerly  the  coachyard  of  the  celebrated 
Inn  of  this  name.  The  Old  Bailey  is  a  corruption 
of  Bail  Hill,  which  contained  the  residence  and  court 
of  the  Bail,  or  Bailiff,  from  very  early  times.  The 
Broadway  was  doubtless  considered  a  fine  thorough- 
fare in  the  days  when  London  streets  generally 
were  so  narrow  that  opposite  neighbours  could  shake 
hands  out  of  their  top-story  windows.  Friar 
Street  was  designated  after  the  Black  Friars' 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  261 

Monastery.  Sermon  Lane  is  a  corruption  of 
"  Shere-moniers'  Lane,"  in  which  stood  the  office  of 
the  money-shearers  or  clippers  at  the  time  when 
the  Mint  was  in  this  neighbourhood.  Paul's 
Chain  owed  its  name  to  a  chain  formerly  drawn 
across  its  northern  extremity  the  while  service  was 
held  in  St.  Paul's.  Old  Change  was  originally 
known  as  "  The  King's  Exchange"  on  account  of  the 
building  where  the  bullion  was  stored  convenient  to 
the  Money-shearers'  Office  and  the  Mint.  Pater- 
noster Row  received  its  name  from  the  stationers 
who  sold  religious  texts,  prayer-books,  and  rosary 
beads,  formerly  called  Paternosters  in  this  street. 
Ave  Maria  Lane,  Creed  Lane,  and  Amen  Corner, 
being  of  later  date,  their  designation  to  complete 
the  religious  metaphor  was  perhaps  natural.  War- 
wick Lane  stands  on  the  site  of  a  magnificent 
palace  owned  by  the  Beauchamps,  Earls  of  War- 
wick. Ivy  Lane  contained  the  ivy-clad  houses  of 
the  prebendaries  attached  to  St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 
In  Panyer  Alley  may  be  seen  a  curious  stone  let 
into  the  wall  of  the  middle  house  on  the  east  side, 
upon  which  are  chiselled  the  rude  figure  of  a  boy 
seated  on  a  pannier  or  basket,  and  this  distich  : 

"  When  you  have  sought  the  city  round, 
Yet  still  this  is  the  highest  ground. 

August  27,  1688." 

Cheapside  properly  denotes  that  side  of  the  Cheap 
where  the  rich  goldsmiths  had  their  shops.  The 
term  cheap  is  Saxon  for  a  market,  derived  from  ceapan, 


262  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

to  buy.  The  Old  English  spelling  of  the  name  of 
this  locality  was  Chepe,  Ironmonger  Lane  was 
the  regular  habitation  of  the  artificers  in  iron  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  I. ;  Bread  Street  of  the  bakers  ; 
and  Friday  Street  of  the  fishmongers  who  supplied 
the  fast-day  markets.  Milk  Street  was  the  ancient 
milk  market.  Gutter  Lane  was  originally  Guthurun 
Lane,  after  the  name  of  one  of  its  first  builders. 
Foster  Lane  contains  the  Church  of  St.  Vedast 
(otherwise  St.  Foster),  Bishop  of  Arras  in  the 
French  province  of  Artois,  in  the  time  of  Clovis. 
Wood  Street  contained  the  residence  of  Sir 
Thomas  Wood,  elected  Sheriff  in  1491,  and  after- 
wards Lord  Mayor.  Lawrence  Lane  took  its  name 
from  the  Church  of  St.  Lawrence.  Gresham  Street, 
which  perpetuates  the  memory  of  Sir  Thomas 
Gresham,  merchant  and  founder  of  the  Royal 
Exchange  (born  1519,  died  1579),  because  Gresham 
College,  established  by  him  in  his  own  mansion, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Gresham  House,  Old 
Broad  Street,  was  removed  here  in  1843.  Lad  Lane, 
now  absorbed  in  Gresham  Street,  was  a  corrup- 
tion of  "  Our  Lady  Lane,"  so  called  from  a 
statue  of  the  Virgin.  Aldermanbury  was  so 
called  from  the  original  Guildhall  that  stood  on  its 
east  side.  The  approach  to  the  present  Guildhall 
received  the  name  of  King  Street  in  honour  of 
Henry  IV.,  in  whose  reign  the  edifice  was  opened. 
In  Basinghall  Street  stood  the  mansion  of 
Solomon  Basing,  Lord  Mayor  in  1216.  Coleman 
Street  preserves  the  memory  of  the  first  builder 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  263 

upon  the  land.  The  Old  Jewry  was  the  privileged 
quarter  of  the  Jews,  whose  first  synagogue  was 
erected  here  in  1262.  The  Poultry  comprised  the 
shops  of  the  scorchers  and  staffers,  who  afterwards 
settled  down  in  the  Stocks  Market  (so  called  from 
the  old  stocks  for  public  offenders  that  stood  there), 
displaced  by  the  building  of  the  Mansion  House  in 
1739.  Bucldersbury  was  originally  the  property 
of  a  wealthy  grocer  named  Buckle  who  owned 
a  manor-house  here  ;  the  Anglo-Saxon  word  bury 
being  applicable  either  to  a  town  or  to  an  inhabited 
enclosure.  King  William  Street  was  named  soon 
after  William  IV.  opened  the  present  London 
Bridge,  on  August  i,  1831.  Queen  Victoria 
Street  was  cut  through  in  the  reign  of  her  present 
Majesty. 

Cannon  Street  is  a  corruption  of  Candlewick 
Street,  colloquially  styled  "  Can'lwick  Street,"  from 
the  candlemakers  who  congregated  in  it.  Budge 
Row  received  its  name  from  the  sellers  of  budge, 
or  lambskin-fur,  which  at  one  time  was  greatly  used 
as  an  ornamentation  to  their  attire  by  scholars  and 
civic  dignitaries.  London  Stone  marked  the  centre 
of  the  City  during  its  occupation  by  the  Romans  in 
the  year  15  B.C.  Watling  Street  is  a  mispronuncia- 
tion of  "  Vitellina  strata,"  meaning  the  street  of 
Vitellius,  who  at  the  time  it  was  constructed  occupied 
the  Imperial  throne.  This  was  the  great  highway  of 
the  Romans,  running  from  Dover,  through  Canterbury 
and  London,  direct  to  Cardigan  in  Wales.  Walbrook, 
formerly  written  "  Wall-brook,"  reminds  us  of  the 


264  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

pleasant  stream  of  clear  water  that  once  ran  along 
the  west  side  of  this  street  and  emptied  itself  into 
the  Thames.  Crooked  Lane  was  so  called  from  its 
winding  character.  Swan  Alley,  in  Upper  Thames 
Street,  derived  its  title  from  an  ancient  mansion  of 
the  Beauchamps  whose  crest  was  a  swan.  Boss 
Alley  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  executors 
of  Sir  Richard  Whittington  erected  a  boss,  or  con- 
duit, hereabouts  in  the  long,  long  ago.  College 
Hill  is  all  that  remains  to  remind  us  of  the  College 
of  St.  Spirit  and  St.  Mary  founded  on  its  site  by  the 
same  generous  Lord  Mayor  and  benefactor  of  the 
public.  Fye  Foot  Lane  is  properly  "five-foot 
lane,"  the  actual  width  of  this  thoroughfare  at  one 
end  ;  while  Duck's  Foot  Lane  is  a  corruption  of 
"Duke's  Foot  Lane,"  signifying  the  private  path 
leading  from  the  manor-house  of  the  Dukes  of 
Suffolk  in  what  is  now  Suffolk  Lane  down  to  the 
water-side,  ftueenhithe  was  so  called  because  the 
tolls  collected  at  this  hithe,  or  wharf,  were  claimed 
as  pin-money  by  Eleanor,  queen  of  Henry  II. 
Dowgate  is  a  modern  spelling  of  "  Dwrgate  "  (dwr 
being  Celtic  for  water),  where,  in  the  absence  of 
bridges,  the  Romans  had  a  ferry  across  the  river 
to  the  continuation  of  Watling  Street  towards 
Dover.  The  Steelyard  was  the  place  where  the 
King's  beam,  or  Steelyard,  for  weighing  merchandise 
was  set  up.  Foreigners  who  landed  goods  here 
were,  between  the  thirteenth  and  fifteenth  cen- 
turies, known  as  THE  STEELYARD  MERCHANTS. 
Gracechurch  Street,  formerly  corrupted  into 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  265 

"  Gracious  Street,"  received  its  name  from  an  old 
church  standing  in  a  grass  market  hereabouts. 
Fenchurch  Street  recalls  the  church  in  the  fens, 
or  marshy  land,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Thames. 
Eastcheap  was  the  eastern  cheap  or  market,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  Chepe  or  Cheapside.  Mincing  Lane 
is  a  corruption  of  "  Mynchen  Lane,"  denoting  the 
tenements  held  by  the  minichery,  a  Saxon  name  for 
a  nunnery,  of  St.  Helen's,  Bishopsgate  Street. 
Mark  Lane  was  originally  styled  "  Mart  Lane," 
from  a  fair  held  here  from  the  earliest  times. 
Blind  Chapel  Court,  situated  at  the  north-east 
corner  of  Mark  Lane,  carries  the  imagination 
back  to  "  Blanch  Appleton,"  the  documentary 
description  of  a  white  stone  manor  belonging  to  a 
knight  named  Appleton,  in  the  reign  of  Richard  II. 
In  Rood  Lane  stood  an  ancient  rood,  or  cross, 
representing  the  dying  Saviour.  Seething  Lane 
is  a  corruption  of  Sidon  Lane  ;  and  Billiter  Street 
of  Belzetti  Street,  commemorating  the  names  of 
the  original  owners  of,  and  builders  upon,  the  land. 
The  Minories  marks  the  site  of  the  Priory  of  the 
MINORESSES,  or  NUN'S  OF  ST.  CLARE  (the  Order 
founded  in  Italy  by  St.  Clare  in  1212) ;  corresponding 
to  the  Minims,  or  Lesser  Friars,  founded  by  St. 
Francis  de  Paula  in  1453.  Crutched  Friars  was 
the  Priory  of  the  Crutched,  or  Crossed,  Friars  of 
the  Holy  Trinity  [see  RELIGIOUS  ORDERS].  Aldgate 
received  its  name  from  the  Aid  Gate,  the  oldest  of 
the  City  gates,  taken  down  in  1760.  Aldgate  Pump, 
which  stood  beside  the  gate,  still  remains.  George 


266  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

Yard  was  formerly  the  inn  yard  of  "  The  George." 
Duke's  Place  preserves  the  memory  of  Thomas 
Howard,  Duke  of  Norfolk,  beheaded  in  1572,  who 
had  inherited  the  property  of  the  Crutched  Friars 
by  marriage. 

Leadenhall  Street  derived  its  title  from  the 
first  Leadenhall  Market,  built  in  1445,  and  so 
called  because  it  was  roofed  with  lead.  St.  Mary- 
Axe  owes  its  name  to  the  Church  of  St.  Mary- 
Axe  which  stood  in  it  [see  the  article  "  LONDON 
CHURCHES  AND  BUILDINGS  "].  Throgmorton 
Street  and  Nicholas  Lane  were  both  named  after 
Sir  Nicholas  Throgmorton,  a  wealthy  London 
banker,  and  the  head  of  an  ancient  Warwick- 
shire family,  said  to  have  been  poisoned  by  Robert 
Dudley,  Earl  of  Leicester,  in  1571.  Thread- 
needle  Street  is  a  corruption  of  "  Three-Needle- 
Street,"  so  called  from  the  arms  of  the  Needle 
Makers'  Company.  Bartholomew  Lane  was  de- 
signated after  the  Church  of  St.  Bartholomew,  at 
the  back  of  the  Royal  Exchange.  Lothbury 
was  originally  "  Lathbury,"  so  called  from  a  lath, 
or  court,  derived  from  lathing,  the  Scandinavian 
for  a  law  assembly  held  here  in  very  early  times. 
Cornhill  was  the  ancient  corn  market.  St. 
Michael's  Alley,  where  the  first  English  coffee- 
house was  opened,  took  its  name  from  the  neigh- 
bouring church.  Finch  Lane  is  properly  "  Finke 
Lane,"  in  honour  of  Sir  Robert  Finke,  who  built  the 
Church  of  St.  Bennet  Finke,  pulled  down  to  enlarge 
Gresham's  Royal  Exchange.  Change  Alley,  a 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  267 

contraction  of  "  Exchange  Alley,"  was  in  the  year 
1720  the  busy  centre  of  the  South  Sea  Bubble. 
Birchin  Lane  is  a  corruption  of  "  Birchover  Lane/* 
named  after  the  builder. 

Lombard  Street  constituted  the  colony  of  the 
Jews  of  Lombardy  sent  over  to  England  by  Pope 
Gregory  IX.  for  the  purpose  of  advancing  money 
to  those  who  were  unable  to  pay  the  taxes  so 
rigorously  demanded  throughout  the  country  in 
1229.  Austin  Friars  contained  the  Priory  of  the 
Austin,  or  Augustin  Friars.  Bishopsgate  Street 
was  designated  after  the  strong  gate  built  by  the 
good  Bishop  Erkenwald,  son  of  Offa,  King  of  the 
Saxons ;  and  repaired  by  Bishop  William  in  the 
reign  of  William  I.  Great  St.  Helen's  comprises 
the  ground  anciently  held  by  the  Nuns  of  the  Order 
of  St.  Helen.  Devonshire  Square,  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood, marks  the  situation  of  the  mansion  of 
William  Cavendish,  second  Earl  of  Devonshire,  who 
died  under  its  roof  in  1628.  Artillery  Lane  stands 
upon  the  old  practising  ground  of  the  Tower 
Gunners  prior  to  the  seventeenth  century.  Hounds- 
ditch  was  the  old  ditch  beyond  the  city  wall, 
anciently  considered  by  the  inhabitants  to  be  the 
proper  depository  for  dead  dogs.  Bevis  Marks  is 
a  corruption  of  "  Bury's  Marks,"  where  stood  the 
mansion  and  grounds  of  the  Abbots  of  Bury. 
Petticoat  Lane,  also  known  as  Rag  Fair,  is  the 
central  old  clothes  mart  of  the  Jewish  inhabitants  of 
the  metropolis.  Wormwood  Street  and  Camo- 
mile Street  were  so  called  on  account  of  the  herbs 


268  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

found  growing  among  the  Roman  stones.  London 
Wall  defines  the  ancient  boundary  of  Roman 
London.  Barbican,  a  continuation  of  the  old 
Roman  Wall,  is  an  English  form  of  the  Saxon 
burgh  kennin,  or  postern  tower.  Here  it  was  that 
the  Romans  placed  sentinels  by  night  and  day  to 
give  notice  of  conflagrations  in  the  City  or  of  dangers 
from  outside  quarters.  In  Great  Winchester  Street 
stood  the  original  Winchester  House,  built  by 
the  first  Marquis  of  Winchester.  Old  Broad  Street 
was  in  Elizabeth's  reign  the  most  fashionable 
thoroughfare  in  London,  containing  the  mansions  of 
the  wealthiest  city  merchants.  Moorgate  Street 
was  so  called  from  the  gate  that  divided  the  City  from 
the  moor,  comprising  the  borough  of  Finsbury. 
Beech  Lane  was  designated  after  Nicholas  de  la 
Beech,  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  during  the  reign 
of  Edward  III.  Cripplegate  is  the  narrow 
thoroughfare  anciently  graced  (or  disgraced)  by  a 
stone  gate  which  received  its  name  from  the  beggars 
and  cripples  who  congregated  around  it.  This 
affection  for  the  old  gate  on  the  part  of  the  cripples 
may  be  explained  by  the  circumstance  that  the 
neighbouring  church  was  dedicated  to  St.  Giles,  the 
patron  of  cripples.  Whitecross  Street  and  Red 
Cross  Street  were  respectively  denominated  from  a 
white  and  a  red  cross  of  stone,  which  defined  the 
boundaries  of  the  land  belonging  to  the  Knights 
Templars  and  the  Knights  Hospitallers.  Play- 
house Yard  reminds  us  that  the  old  "  Fortune 
Theatre "  stood  here.  Jewin  Street  was  for 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  269 

centuries  the  only  burying-ground  permitted  to  the 
Jews  of  London.  Aldersgate  Street  took  its  name 
from  the  old  City  gate,  distinguished  for  several 
alder-trees  that  grew  beside  it.  In  Bridgewater 
Square  stood  the  mansion,  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1687,  of  the  Egertons,  Earls  of  Bridgewater.  Bar- 
tholomew Close  marks  the  situation  of  the  cloisters 
of  St.  Bartholomew's  Priory,  of  which  the  church 
still  remains.  Cloth  Fair  comprised  the  ancient 
rendezvous  of  the  Flemish  and. Italian  merchants 
for  the  annual  sale  of  cloths.  This  was  the  real 
Fair,  to  which  "  Bartholomew  Fair  "  was  merely  an 
adjunct  designed  for  the  amusement  of  the  populace 
who  came  from  all  accessible  parts  of  the  country. 
Duke  Street  and  Little  Britain  were  so  called 
because  in  olden  times  the  Dukes  of  Brittany 
resided  here.  Newgate  Street  received  its  name 
from  the  latest  of  the  City  gates,  which  also  lent  its 
title  to  the  gloomy  prison  hard  by.  Bath  Street 
contained  one  of  the  Turkish  Bagnios,  or  Baths, 
introduced  in  London  as  early  as  the  year  1679. 
King  Edward  Street  serves  to  remind  us  that  the 
neighbouring  Grammar  School  known  as  Christ's 
Hospital  was  established  by  Edward  VI.  Giltspur 
Street,  formerly  styled  Knightrider  Street,  was 
so  called  from  the  Knights,  distinguished  by  their 
gilt  spurs,  who  passed  through  it  on  their  way  to 
the  tournaments  in  Smithfield.  Pie  Corner,  where 
the  great  Fire  of  London  ceased  its  ravages  in  1666, 
derived  its  name  from  an  eating-house  that  rejoiced 
in  the  sign  of  "  The  Magpie/'  Farringdon  Street 


270  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

and  Farringdon  Road  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
William  Farrindon,  citizen  and  goldsmith,  who  pur-  , 
chased  the  Aldermanry  of  the  Ward  still  known  by 
his  name  for  twenty  marks  in  1279,  and  became 
Sheriff  two  years  later.  Saffron  Hill  owes  its 
designation  to  the  rich  crops  of  saffron  that  grew  on 
its  site  at  the  time  when  it  formed  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  grounds  attached  to  Ely  House,  the 
London  residence  of  the  Bishops  of  Ely,  which 
stood  on  the  spot  now  marked  by  Ely  Place,  and 
bounded  on  the  west  by  Hatton  Garden ;  so  called 
because,  when  the  property  became  demised  to  the 
Crown,  it  was  presented  by  Queen  Elizabeth  to  Sir 
Christopher  Hatton,  who  literally  danced  himself 
into  Her  Majesty's  favour.  Snow  Hill  was  formerly 
described  as  "  Snore  Hill,"  from  the  fact  that  the 
stage-coach  passengers  intended  for  "  The  Saracen's 
Head  "  were  generally  fast  asleep  when  they  arrived 
at  their  destination. 

Holborn  is  a  contraction  of  "  The  Hollow  Bourne," 
indicative  of  a  stream  in  a  hollow.  In  Domesday 
Book  the  name  appears  as  "  Holebourne."  Hol- 
born  Bars  marks  the  City  boundary  on  its  western 
side.  Leather  Lane  was  the  recognized  colony  of 
the  leather-sellers.  Fetter  Lane  is  a  perversion  of 
"  Fewtor's  Lane  " — in  other  words,  a  lane  infested 
by  vagabonds  in  the  days  when  it  led  to  some  pleasure 
gardens.  The  term  was  derived  from  the  Norman- 
French  faitour,  signifying  an  evil-doer.  Brooke 
Street  (in  which  Chatterton,  the  boy-poet,  ended  his 
life  by  poison),  and  Greville  Street  preserve  the 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  271 

name  of  Fulke  Greville,  Lord  Brooke,  Councillor  to 
James  L,  whose  house  stood  in  the  latter  thorough- 
fare. Gray's  Inn  Road  forms  the  eastern  boundary 
of  Gray's  Inn.  Verulam  Buildings,  Gray's  Inn, 
facing  Gray's  Inn  Road,  received  this  title  in  honour 
of  Lord  Bacon,  who  was  created  Baron  Verulam  and 
Viscount  St.  Albans.  Furnival  Street,  on  the  east 
side  of  Holborn  Bars,  owes  its  name  to  Furnival's 
Inn,  which  it  faces.  Until  quite  recently  this  street 
was  designated  Castle  Street,  from  the  old  "  Castle 
Inn,"  whose  site  it  covers.  The  name  of  Dyers' 
Buildings  memorializes  the  one-time  existence  of 
some  almshouse  erected  hereabouts  by  the  Dyers' 
Company.  Cursitor  Street  received  its  title  from 
the  Cursitors'  Office  founded  in  this  vicinity  by  the 
father  of  the  great  Lord  Bacon.  The  Cursitors  were 
those  who  issued  writs  in  the  name  of  the  Court  of 
Chancery.  The  word  cursitor  is  a  corruption  of 
chorister.  Anciently  all  the  officers  of  the  Court  of 
Chancery  were  divines ;  and  the  Lord  High  Chan- 
cellor himself  was  the  Ecclesiastical  Keeper  of  the 
King's  Conscience.  Chancery  Lane  is  a  corruption 
of  "  Chancellor's  Lane,"  originally  containing  the 
court  and  official  residence  of  the  Lord  High  Chan- 
cellor. Southampton  Buildings  occupy  the  site 
of  Southampton  House,  which  witnessed  the  death 
of  Thomas,  the  last  Earl  of  Southampton,  Lord 
Treasurer  of  Charles  II.  Those  sorry  tenements, 
Chichester  Rents  supply  the  place  of  the  old  town 
mansion  of  the  Bishops  of  Chichester.  Lincoln's 
Inn  Fields  are  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  Inn, 


272  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

or  mansion,  of  Henry  de  Lacey,  Earl  of  Lincoln,  in 
the  fourteenth  century  [see  INNS  OF  COURT].  Sar- 
dinia Street  takes  its  name  from  the  Sardinian 
Chapel,  the  oldest  Roman  Catholic  chapel  in 
London,  dating  back  to  the  year  1648,  and  originally 
the  residence  of  the  Sardinian  ambassador.  Great 
Turnstile  and  Little  Turnstile  are  pleasant- 
sounding  names,  eminently  suggestive  of  the  rural 
character  of  this  neighbourhood  in  bygone  days. 
The  turnstiles  were  set  up  to  prevent  sheep  and 
cattle  from  straying  out  of  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields  into 
the  public  highway.  Great  Queen  Street  was  so 
called  in  compliment  to  Queen  Elizabeth,  in  whose 
reign  it  was  first  formed  into  a  footway  for  pedes- 
trians plodding  westwards  from  Lincoln's  Inn  to- 
wards the  narrow  path,  anciently  designated,  as  the 
modern  street  still  is,  Long  Acre.  The  word  Acre, 
derived  from  the  Greek  agros,  Latin  ager,  and  Anglo- 
Saxon  acer,  means  a  ploughed  or  sown  field. 
Drury  Lane  derived  its  name  from  Drury  House, 
the  town  residence  of  Sir  William  Drury,  K.G.,  one 
of  our  most  able  commanders  in  quelling  the  wars 
with  Ireland.  The  house  was  situated  where  the 
Olympic  Theatre  now  stands.  Denzil  Street  and 
Holies  Street  were  so  designated  by  Gilbert,  Earl 
of  Clare,  whose  house  occupied  the  site  of  Clare 
Market,  in  memory  of  his  uncle  Denzil,  Lord 
Holies,  one  of  the  five  members  of  the  House  of 
Commons  whose  persons  Charles  I.  made  an  in- 
effectual attempt  to  seize.  Hart  Street  and  White 
Hart  Street  both  owe  their  titles  to  "  The  White 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  273 

Hart  "  Inn,  demolished  in  the  time  of  George  I. 
Catherine  Street,  Strand,  and  Portugal  Street, 
Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  were  designated  in  honour  of 
Catherine  of  Braganza,  queen  of  Charles  II.  Serle 
Street  received  its  name  from  Henry  Serle,  a 
bencher  of  Lincoln's  Inn,  who  left  considerable 
property  in  the  parish  of  St.  Clement-Danes  when 
he  died  in  1690.  Wych  Street  was  known  in  early 
times  as  Aldwyche,  denoting  the  road  leading  directly 
from  the  Strand  and  the  church  just  mentioned  to 
the  "  Old  town,"  now  known  as  Broad  Street,  St. 
Giles's  parish.  Holywell  Street  took  its  title  from 
the  Holy  Well  discovered  on  the  eastern  side  of  St. 
Clement-Danes. 

The  Strand  literally  means  the  strand  of  the 
Thames,  At  one  time  Somerset  House  and  a  few 
other  princely  mansions  only  occupied  its  southern 
side.  Thanet  Place,  a  secluded  cul  de  sac  com- 
prising ten  houses,  opposite  the  Law  Courts,  was 
named  after  the  Earl  of  Thanet,  to  whom,  previous 
to  1780,  the  property  belonged.  Palsgrave  Place 
was  so  called  in  compliment  to  the  Palsgrave 
Frederick,  King  of  Bohemia,  who  married  the 
Princess  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  James  I.,  in  1612. 
Devereaux  Court  received  its  title  from  Essex 
House,  which  also  gave  its  name  to  Essex  Street, 
the  residence  of  Robert  Devereaux,  Earl  of  Essex, 
the  Parliamentary  General.  Milford  Lane  was  in 
olden  times  characterized  by  a  rustic  mill ;  and  the 
lane  itself  led  down  to  a  ford  across  the  river. 
Arundel  Street,  Norfolk  Street,  Surrey  Street, 

18 


274  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

and  Howard  Street,  stand  upon  the  site  of  the 
town  house  and  grounds  of  the  Howards,  Dukes  of 
Norfolk,  and  Earls  of  Arundel  and  Surrey.  Savoy 
Street  leads  to  the  Chapel  Royal,  the  only  remain- 
ing portion  of  the  ancient  Savoy  Palace  [see  SAVOY 
CHAPEL].  Wellington  Street,  constructed  in 
1829-30,  was  named  to  complete  the  compliment 
partially  bestowed  upon  the  Duke  of  Wellington  by 
the  designation  of  Waterloo  Bridge,  opened  June 
18,  1817,  or  two  years  after  the  famous  victory. 
Bow  Street  was  so  called  on  account  of  its  bent 
shape  when  it  was  first  laid  out  to  connect  the 
Strand  with  Oxford  Street  in  1637.  Covent  Gar- 
den is  a  corruption  of  Convent  Garden,  or  the 
garden  belonging  to  St.  Paul's  Convent.  York 
Street  and  James  Street  were  both  named  in 
honour  of  the  Duke  of  York,  afterwards  James  II. 
Xing  Street,  constructed  in  his  reign,  was  desig- 
nated after  Charles  I.,  and  Henrietta  Street  after 
his  queen,  Henrietta  Maria.  In  Tavistock  Street, 
Russell  Street,  Bedford  Street,  and  Southamp- 
ton Street,  we  trace  some  of  the  family  titles  of  one 
of  the  ancestors  of  the  present  ground  landlord, 
viz.,  Thomas  Wriothesley,  Earl  of  Southampton, 
Marquis  of  Tavistock,  Duke  of  Bedford,  whose 
daughter  is  known  in  history  as  the  celebrated 
Rachel,  the  wife  of  Lord  William  Russell,  the 
patriot,  beheaded  in  1683.  Southampton  House,  in 
which  Lady  Russell  was  born,  stood  in  the  street 
named  after  it.  Bedfordbury  originally  denoted 
the  enclosed  property  of  the  Bedford  family. 


London  Streets  and  Squares,  275 

Maiden  Lane  was  so  styled  on  account  of  a  statue 
of  the  Virgin  that  stood  at  the  corner  of  this 
thoroughfare  at  the  time  when  it  skirted  the  south 
wall  of  the  Convent  Garden.  Chandos  Street 
received  its  name  from  James  Bridges,  Lord 
Chandos,  the  ancestor  of  the  "  Princely  Duke  of 
Chandos."  Exeter  Street  marks  the  situation  of 
Exeter  House  and  its  grounds,  the  property  of  a 
lineal  descendant  of  the  great  Lord  Burleigh,  after 
whom  Burleigh  Street  was  designated.  Cecil 
Street  and  Salisbury  Street,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  Strand,  remind  us  that  here  stood  Salisbury 
House,  the  residence  of  Robert  Cecil,  first  Earl  of 
Salisbury,  one  of  the  sons  of  Lord  Burleigh  just 
alluded  to. 

Adelphi  is  the  Greek  word  for  brothers.  This 
collective  title  was  chosen  for  the  pleasantly  situated 
little  district  which  comprises  Adelphi  Terrace, 
Adam  Street,  John  Street,  Robert  Street,  and 
James  Street,  the  work  of  the  brothers  Adam, 
after  whose  Christian  names  three  of  the  streets  were 
designated.  Similarly,  George  Street,  Villiers 
Street,  Duke  Street,  and  Buckingham  Street 
preserve  the  memory  of  George  Villiers,  second 
Duke  of  Buckingham,  of  whose  mansion  the  old 
gate  built  by  Inigo  Jones  may  still  be  seen. 
Charing  Cross  is  a  perversion  of  "  Chere  Reine 
Cross,"  so  named  from  the  memorial  cross  erected 
upon  the  spot  where  the  body  of  Eleanor,  the  dear 
queen  of  Edward  I.,  was  last  set  down  while  on  its 
way  to  Westminster  Abbey.  The  present  cross  is 


276  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

merely  a  model  of  the  original  demolished  by  the 
Puritans  in  1647.  Craven  Street  is  the  property 
of  Lord  Craven.  Northumberland  Street  and 
Northumberland  Avenue  owe  their  names  to 
Northumberland  House,  the  town  mansion  of  the 
Dukes  of  Northumberland,  taken  down  in  1874. 

Trafalgar  Square  received  its  title  from  the 
Nelson  Colurnn,  set  up  in  1843,  two  years  before  the 
Square  itself  was  completed.  St,  Martin's  Lane 
was  named  after  the  parish  church  of  St.  Martin's- 
in-the-Fields.  King  William  Street  was  built 
upon  in  the  reign  of  William  IV.  The  name  of 
Seven  Dials  arose  from  a  column  set  up  in  the 
centre  of  a  radius  of  seven  streets,  and  displaying  as. 
many  clock  faces.  Its  object  was  to  define  the 
limits  of  St.  Giles's  parish  in  this  direction.  Cran- 
bourne  Street  marks  the  course  of  a  long,  narrow 
bourne,  or  stream,  that  formerly  ran  from  Tyburn 
by  way  of  Brook  Street,  Grosvenor  Square,  and 
across  Leicester  Fields  into  Long  Acre,  and  thence 
emptied  itself  into  the  Thames  at  the  bottom  of 
Milford  Lane.  The  first  portion  of  the  name  was  in 
allusion  to  the  long,  slender  neck  and  legs  of  the 
crane.  Leicester  Square  (formerly  demomin- 
ated  Leicester  Fields)  derived  its  name  from 
Leicester  House,  the  noble  mansion  built  on  its 
east  side  by  Robert  Sidney,  Earl  of  Leicester,  in 
1636.  On  the  site  of  Coventry  Street  stood  the 
mansion  of  Henry  Coventry,  Secretary  of  State  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  II.  Great  Windmill  Street 
reminds  us  of  the  old  windmill  that  stood  hereabouts 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  277 

a  couple  of  centuries  ago.  It  was  not  until  January, 
1831,  that  the  hay  market,  properly  so  called,  was 
removed  from  the  spacious  thoroughfare  still  known 
as  the  Haymarket.  Jermyn  Street  was  named 
after  Henry  Jermyn,  Earl  of  St.  Albans,  whose  resi- 
dence, St.  Alban's  House,  stood  on  its  north  side. 
In  Arundel  Street  we  have  one  of  the  family 
titles  of  the  ground  landlord,  Lord  Arundel  of 
Wardour.  Orange  Street  was  designated  in 
honour  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  afterwards  William 
III.  Panton  Street  perpetuates  the  memory  of 
Colonel  Thomas  Panton,  a  notorious  gamester, 
whose  daughter  married  into  the  Arundel  family. 
Suffolk  Street  marks  the  situation  of  the  old  town 
mansion  of  the  Earl  of  Suffolk. 

Spring  Gardens,  during  the  days  of  the  Stuarts, 
contained  an  ingenious  contrivance  by  which  any 
person  stepping  upon  a  hidden  spring  was  suddenly 
immersed  in  a  shower  of  water.  Pall  Mall  is  a 
modern  spelling  of  paille  maille,  the  title  of  a  French 
game  at  ball,  somewhat  similar  to  our  croquet,  first 
played  in  this  thoroughfare  —  then  open  to  St. 
James's  Park  —  about  the  year  1621.  Carlton 
House  Terrace  stands  on  the  site  of  Carlton 
House,  the  palace  of  Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales, 
the  father  of  George  III.  King  Street,  St. 
James's  Street,  and  St.  James's  Square  were 
designated  in  honour  of  James  I.  Bury  Street  is 
properly  "Berry  Street,"  after  the  name  of  its  builder. 

The  Green  Park  deserves  its  title  on  account  of 
its  verdure,  so  refreshing  to  the  eye.  Hyde  Park 


278  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

anciently  comprised  the  manor  of  Hyde  held  by  the 
Abbots  of  St.  Peter's,  Westminster,  but  claimed  by  the 
Crown  on  the  dissolution  of  the  monasteries.  Hyde 
Park  Corner  defines  the  position  of  the  old  toll- 
gate  at  the  western  extremity  of  London.  Rotten 
Row  is  a  corruption  of  route  du  roi,  the  French  for 
"  route  of  the  King,"  to  the  historic  royal  residence 
at  Kensington.  Albert  Gate,  Queen's  Gate,  and 
Prince's  Gate  are  of  modern  date,  named  in  honour 
of  the  royal  personages  indicated.  The  Marble 
Arch  is  an  imposing  structure  of  white  marble 
originally  erected  in  front  of  Buckingham  Palace  in 
1830,  and  removed  to  its  present  position  in  1851. 
Rutland  Gate  was  designated  after  the  mansion  of 
the  Dukes  of  Rutland  hard  by.  Cumberland  Gate 
and  Duke  Street,  Grosvenor  Square,  were  both 
named  after  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  brother  to 
George  III.  Grosvenor  Gate,  Grosvenor  Street, 
and  Grosvenor  Square  preserve  the  memory  of  Sir 
Richard  Grosvenor,  Grand  Cup-bearer  to  George  II., 
who  died  in  1732.  The  ancestral  line  of  the  Gros- 
venors  may  be  traced  back  to  Le  Gros  Veneur,  "  the 
chief  hunter,"  to  the  Dukes  of  Normandy  prior  to 
the  Conquest.  Stanhope  Gate,  Great  Stanhope 
Street,  and  Chesterfield  Street  received  their 
names  from  Chesterfield  House,  the  residence  of 
Philip  Stanhope,  Earl  of  Chesterfield,  of  epistolary 
fame.  Park  Lane  was  formerly  a  narrow  lane 
skirting  the  east  side  of  the  Park.  Portugal 
Street  was  named  in  honour  of  the  queen  of 
Charles  II.  Chapel  Street  owes  its  designation  to 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  279 

its  proximity  to  Grosvenor  Chapel.  Hamilton 
Place  perpetuates  the  name  of  Colonel  James 
Hamilton,  Ranger  of  Hyde  Park,  and  boon  com- 
panion of  Charles  II. 

That  fine  thoroughfare  known  as  Piccadilly  was 
designated  after  "  Piccadilla  Hall,"  its  most  westerly 
building  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  and  utilized 
as  a  depot  for  the  sale  of  the  then  fashionable  PICCA- 
DILLY LACE,  so  called  on  account  of  its  little  spear- 
like  points,  piccadilly  being  the  diminutive  of  pica,  a 
pike,  a  spear.  In  the  succeeding  reign  of  James  I., 
the  high  ruff  worn  by  males  was  styled  a  piccadilly, 
though  the  lace  had  disappeared  from  its  edge. 
Curzon  Street  was  named  after  George  Augustus 
Curzon,  third  Viscount  Howe,  the  ground  landlord. 
Charles  Street  and  Queen  Street  were  first  built 
upon  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  in  honour  of  whom 
and  his  queen  they  were  designated.  Shepherd 
Street,  Shepherd's  Market,  and  Market  Street 
faithfully  preserve  the  memory  of  the  owner  of  the 
land  upon  which  the  ancient  "  May  Fair"  was  held. 
Hay  Hill,  Hill  Street,  and  Farm  Street  mark 
the  situation  of  an  old  farm  that  stood  upon  the 
lands  of  John,  Lord  Berkeley  of  Stratton,  an  able 
officer  in  the  army  of  Charles  I.,  whose  titles  are 
perpetuated  in  John  Street,  Berkeley  Square, 
Berkeley  Street,  and  Stratton  Street;  while 
Bruton  Street  refers  to  the  family  seat  of  the 
Berkeleys,  situated  at  Bruton,  Somersetshire. 
Mount  Street  marks  the  site  of  one  of  the  western 
forts  or  bastions  hastily  formed  by  the  Parlia- 


280  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

mentarians  in  1643  to  resist  an  expected  attack 
upon  the  Metropolis  from  this  side  by  the  Royalists. 
Clarges  Street  derived  its  name  from  the  residence 
of  Sir  Walter  Clarges  built  in  1717,  and  afterwards 
occupied  by  the  Venetian  Ambassador.  In  Half- 
Moon  Street  stood  an  old  tavern  bearing  the  sign 
of  "The  Half- Moon."  Arlington  Street  and 
Bennett  Street  were  named  after  Henry  Bennett, 
Earl  of  Arlington,  whose  town  house  was  situated 
on  the  site  of  the  former  thoroughfare.  Dover 
Street  was  so  called  in  memory  of  Henry  Jermyn, 
Lord  Dover,  who  died  in  it  in  1782.  Albemarle 
Street  contained  the  residence  of  Christopher  Monk, 
second  Duke  of  Albemarle,  acquired  from  the  Earls 
of  Clarendon.  Old  Bond  Street,  of  which  New 
Bond  Street  is  a  modern  continuation,  received  its 
name  from  the  Bond  family,  now  extinct.  The  land 
upon  which  it  stands  was  the  property  of  Sir  Thomas 
Bond,  Comptroller  of  the  Household  of  Henrietta 
Maria,  queen  of  Charles  I.  Clifford  Street  pre- 
serves the  memory  of  Elizabeth  Clifford,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Richard  Boyle,  Earl  of  Burling- 
ton (died  1753),  after  whom  Old  Burlington  Street, 
and  subsequently,  New  Burlington  Street  were  de- 
signated. In  Cork  Street  resided  Lord  Cork,  one 
of  the  four  brothers  of  the  Boyle  family  advanced  to 
the  peerage  at  the  same  time.  Savile  Row  was 
named  after  Dorothy  Savile,  who  became  Countess 
of  Burlington  and  Cork,  and  inherited  the  property. 
VigO  Street  commemorates  the  capture  of  Vigo,  in 
Spain,  by  the  British  on  several  occasions  in  the 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  281 

course  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries. 
The  street  dates  back  to  the  year  1720.  Sackville 
Street,  built  in  1679,  serves  its  purpose  as  per- 
petuating the  memory  of  the  witty  Charles  Sack- 
ville, Earl  of  Dorset,  whose  friends  were  unwilling 
that  his  fame  should  be  allowed  to  die.  Air  Street, 
Piccadilly  Circus,  was  at  the  time  of  its  erection 
in  the  year  1659  one  of  the  most  westerly,  and 
consequently,  open  streets  of  the  town.  Swallow 
Street  is  a  corruption  of  "  Slough  Street,"  at  one 
time  a  miry  thoroughfare  much  infested  by  footpads. 
Vine  Street  recalls  the  ancient  vineyard  belonging 
to  the  Abbey  at  Westminster,  situated  here. 

Regent  Street  was  named  by  John  Nash,  the 
architect,  after  his  royal  patron,  the  Prince  Regent. 
It  was  commenced  in  1813.  Conduit  Street  re- 
ceived its  name  from  the  conduit  or  spring-head  set 
up  in  the  meadow  formerly  known  as  "  Conduit 
Mead,"  now  swallowed  up  by  Old  Bond  Street. 
Maddox  Street  was  built  by  one  Maddox  in  1720. 
Brook  Street  reminds  us  of  the  pleasant  stream 
that  wound  its  way  from  Tyburn  down  to  Leicester 
Fields,  where  it  was  designated  the  Cranbourne,  and 
ultimately  spent  itself  in  the  Thames.  Mill  Street 
affords  us  an  additional  memory  of  the  rurality  of 
London  in  bygone  times.  George  Street  (also 
St,  George's  Church),  Hanover  Street,  and 
Hanover  Square  were  designations  in  honour  of 
the  Hanoverian  succession  in  the  person  of  George 
I.  Davies  Street,  connecting  Berkeley  Square 
with  Oxford  Street,  received  its  name  in  compliment 


282  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

to  Miss  Mary  Davies,  the  heiress  of  Ebury  Manor, 
Belgravia,  who  carried  that  estate  by  her  marriage 
into  the  possession  of  the  Grosvenors. 

Crossing  Regent  Street,  Argyll  Street  marks  the 
situation  of  the  old  town  mansion  of  the  Dukes 
of  Argyll.  Marlborough  Street,  Great  Marl- 
borough  Street,  and  Blenheim  Street  were  so 
called  in  honour  of  the  Duke  of  Marlborough,  the 
victor  of  Blenheim.  Wardour  Street  is  in  allusion 
to  the  family  seat  of  the  ground  landlord,  Lord 
Arundel  of  Wardour.  Nassau  Street  was  named 
in  compliment  to  the  royal  House  of  Nassau,  from 
which  the  Prince  of  Orange  claimed  his  descent. 
Golden  Square  is  a  corruption  of  Gelding  Square, 
derived  from  an  adjacent  inn  sign,  "  The  Gelding." 
Shaftesbury  Avenue  is  a  modern  thoroughfare 
named  after  Anthony  Ashley  Cooper,  seventh  Earl  of 
Shaftesbury,  who  performed  the  opening  ceremony 
but  a  short  time  before  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1885.  Windmill  Street  furnishes  another  plea- 
sant reminder  of  green  pastures  and  rural  delights. 
Old  Compton  Street  was  built  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  II.  by  Sir  Francis  Compton.  New  Comp- 
ton  Street  and  Dean  Street  derived  their  names 
from  Bishop  Compton,  Dean  of  the  Chapel  Royal,. 
Savoy,  who  originally  possessed  the  living  of  St. 
Anne's,  Soho.  Gerrard  Street  and  Macclesfield 
Street  perpetuate  the  memory  of  Gerard,  Earl  of 
Macclesfield,  the  owner  of  the  site  at  the  time  when 
buildings  were  first  put  up  hereabouts  in  1697. 
Greek  Street  was  so  called  from  the  Greek  mer~ 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  283 

chants  who  colonized  this  neighbourhood,  and  for 
whose  spiritual  benefit  a  Greek  church  was  erected 
hard  by.  Carlisle  Street  was  designated  after  the 
Howards,  Earls  of  Carlisle,  a  branch  of  the  ducal 
house  of  Norfolk,  whose  family  mansion  stood  on 
the  east  side  of  what  is  now  Soho  Square  about  the 
middle  of  the  last  century. 

Hanway  Street,  situated  on  the  north  side  of 
Oxford  Street,  received  its  name  from  Jonas  Hanway, 
who  was  the  first  to  carry  an  umbrella  through  the 
London  streets.  This  occurred  in  the  year  1750. 
Rathbone  Place,  a  somewhat  exclusive  thorough- 
fare, supporting  its  own  police,  was  built  by  a  Cap- 
tain Rathbone  in  1718.  Newman  Street  and 
Goodge  Street  retain  the  names  of  their  speculative 
builders.  Castle  Street  took  its  title  from  an  inn 
sign  at  the  corner  of  Oxford  Market.  Wells  Street 
is  properly  "  Well  Street,"  so  called  after  Well  in 
Yorkshire,  the  seat  of  the  Strangeways  family,  from 
whom  Lady  Berners,  the  original  ground  landlady 
of  Berners  Street,  descended.  In  Foley  Street 
stood  Foley  House,  the  town  mansion  of  Lord  Foley. 
Charlotte  Street  received  its  name  in  honour  of 
the  queen  of  George  III.  Bolsover  Street,  Great 
Titchfield  Street,  Titchfield  Street,  Grafton 
Street,  Cleveland  Street,  Fitzroy  Square, 
Euston  Square,  Euston  Road,  and  Southamp- 
ton Street,  are  all  designated  after  family  names  of 
the  Fitzroys,  Dukes  of  Grafton,  Earls  and  Lords  of 
Southampton,  the  ground  landlords.  Euston  is  the 
seat  of  the  Earl  of  Euston,  son  of  the  Duke  of 


284  Names:  and  their  Meaning. 

Grafton  and  Marquis  of  Titchfield,  situated  at 
Thetford,  in  the  county  of  Norfolk;  while  Bolsover 
is  the  Derbyshire  seat  of  the  Graftons.  Tottenham 
Court  Road  anciently  comprised  the  manor  of 
Totten,  or  Totham,  held  by  William  de  Tottenhall 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  In  Elizabeth's  time  the 
manor  was  described  as  "Tottenham  Court."  The 
lease  fell  into  the  possession  of  Charles  Fitzroy, 
second  Duke  of  Grafton,  by  right  of  his  mother, 
Lady  Isabella  Bennett,  who  inherited  it. 

Oxford  Street,  formerly  styled  Oxford  Road, 
Oxford  Market,  Mortimer  Street,  Harley  Street, 
Edward  Street,  and  Wigmore  Street,  derived 
their  names  from  Edward  Harley,  Earl  of  Oxford 
and  Mortimer,  created  Baron  Harley  of  Wigmore 
Castle  in  Herefordshire  in  1717,  the  owner  of  the 
estate.  Cavendish  Square,  Old  Cavendish 
Street,  New  Cavendish  Street,  Holies  Street, 
and  Henrietta  Street,  preserve  the  memory  of 
Henrietta  Cavendish,  wife  of  the  second  Lord 
Harley,  and  only  daughter  and  heiress  of  John 
Holies,  the  last  Duke  of  Newcastle,  who  by  her 
marriage  carried  all  this  property  into  the  family  of 
the  Harleys.  Her  daughter,  Lady  Margaret  Caven- 
dish, became  in  her  turn  the  wife  of  William  Ben- 
tinck,  second  Duke  of  Portland ;  in  honour  of  which 
connection  there  have  been  designated  the  various 
thoroughfares  known  as  Bentinck  Street,  Mar- 
garet Street,  Duke  Street,  Duchess  Street, 
Portland  Place,  and  Great  Portland  Street. 
Welbeck  Street  was  named  after  Welbeck  Abbey, 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  285 

in  Northamptonshire,  the  seat  of  the  Portland 
family;  while  Clipstone  Street  and  Carburton 
Street  were  respectively  designated  after  villages, 
the  one  in  Nottinghamshire,  the  other  in  Northamp- 
tonshire, included  in  the  ducal  estate.  Wimpole 
Street  repeats  the  name  of  the  seat  of  the  Harleys 
situated  on  the  borders  of  Herefordshire  and  Cam- 
bridgeshire, and  purchased  by  Lord  Chancellor 
Hardwicke  in  the  last  century.  Stratford  Place 
was  built  in  1775  by  Edward  Stratford,  second  Lord 
Aldborough,  on  ground  leased  from  the  Corporation 
of  London  for  the  purpose.  The  erection  of  Queen 
Anne  Street  dates  from  the  reign  indicated  by  its 
name.  Mansfield  Street  is  all  that  is  left  to 
remind  us  of  the  town  residence  of  the  Earl  of 
Mansfield.  Langham  Place  and  Langham  Street 
were  named  after  Sir  James  Langham,  whose 
mansion  and  grounds  occupied  the  site  of  the  latter. 
Vere  Street  recalls  the  existence  of  the  De  Veres, 
who  for  centuries  held  the  Earldom  of  Oxford  pre- 
vious to  the  Harleys.  Duke  Street,  Manchester 
Street,  and  Manchester  Square,  comprise  the 
property  of  the  Duke  of  Manchester.  Spanish 
Place  was  originally  so  called  from  the  residence  of 
the  Spanish  Ambassador  during  the  last  century. 
Chandos  Street  derived  its  name  from  the  mansion 
built  by  James  Bridges,  Duke  of  Chandos.  Hinde 
Street  perpetuates  the  memory  of  James  Hinde, 
a  speculative  builder  and  one  of  the  lessees  of 
Marylebone  Park  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago. 
North  Audley  Street  and  South  Audley  Street 


286  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

point  to  the  existence  of  Hugh  Audley,  a  barrister 
of  the  Middle  Temple  and  owner  of  a  landed  estate 
hereabouts  worth  a  million  of  money;  which,  at  his 
death,  in  1662,  fell  to  Sir  William  Davies,  Lord  Mayor 
of  London,  the  father  of  Miss  Mary  Davies  already 
alluded  to  in  connection  with  Davies  Street  and 
Ebury  Manor,  Belgravia. 

Old  Quebec  Street  commemorates  the  capture 
of  Quebec  by  General  Wolfe  in  1759,  about  which 
period  this  street  was  first  built  upon.  Seymour 
Place  and  Tipper  Seymour  Street  were  designated 
after  the  Seymours,  from  whom  the  Portmans  are 
descended.  Montague  Street  and  Montague 
Square  were  so  called  in  compliment  to  Mrs. 
Montague  of  Blue  Stocking  fame,  who,  on  becoming 
a  widow,  took  up  her  residence  in  Portman  Square 
close  by.  Orchard  Street  was  designated  in  allu- 
sion to  Orchard-Portman,  one  of  the  seats  of  the 
Portmans,  in  Somersetshire.  Portman  Square, 
Portman  Street,  Berkeley  Place,  Upper 
Berkeley  Street,  Lower  Berkeley  Street, 
Bryanstone  Square,  Bryanstone  Street,  Wynd- 
liam  Place,  Wyndham  Street,  Blandford 
Square,  Blandford  Street,  Dorset  Square,  and 
Dorset  Street,  all  have  reference  to  the  titles  and 
estate  of  the  sole  landlord  of  this  neighbourhood, 
viz.,  Edward  Berkeley  Portman,  Viscount  Portman 
of  Bryanstone,  near  Blandford,  Dorsetshire,  many 
years  M.P.  for  Dorset,  and  some  time  M.P.  for 
Marylebone.  Baker  Street  received  its  name  in 
compliment  to  Sir  Edward  Baker  of  Ranston,  a 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  287 

valued  neighbour  of  the  Portmans  in  Dorsetshire. 
Harewood  Square  and  Harewood  Street  mark 
the  position  of  the  town  mansion  of  the  Earls  of 
Harewood.  Lisson  Grove  stands  on  part  of  the 
land  formerly  known  as  Lideston  Green,  really  a  cor- 
ruption of  Ossulton  Green.  Ossulton  is  the  name  of  a 
Hundred  mentioned  in  Domesday  Book,  and  pre- 
served in  Ossulton  Square,  close  at  hand,  and  also 
in  Ossulton  Street,  Euston  Road. 

Regent's  Park  was  named  in  honour  of  the 
Prince  Regent,  for  whom  it  was  originally  intended 
to  build  a  palace  on  the  ground  now  utilized  as  the 
Botanic  Gardens.  Albany  Street  and  Osnaburgh 
Street  perpetuate  the  memory  of  Frederick,  second 
son  of  George  III.,  nominally  styled  Prince-Bishop 
of  Osnaburgh  in  Hanover,  and  created  Duke  of 
York  and  Albany,  and  Earl  of  Ulster.  Cumber- 
land Market,  whither  the  hay-market  was  removed 
from  what  still  bears  the  description  of  the  Hay- 
market  in  1831,  received  its  name  in  honour  of 
Ernest  Augustus,  Duke  of  Cumberland,  one  of  the 
sons  oi  George  III.,  who  subsequently  became  King 
of  Hanover.  Munster  Square  was  so  called  in 
compliment  to  the  eldest  son  of  William  IV.,  created 
Earl  of  Munster.  Park  Street  is  the  direct  approach 
from  High  Street,  Camden  Town,  to  the  Regent's 
Park.  Brecknock  Road,  Brecknock  Crescent, 
Bayham  Street,  Pratt  Street,  Jeffreys  Street, 
Henry  Street,  Charles  Street,  Frederick  Street, 
Edward  Street,  William  Street,  and  Robert 
Street,  repeat  the  titles,  family  and  Christian  names 


288  Names :  and  their-  Meaning. 

occurring  in  the  family  of  the  Earl  of  Brecknock, 
Marquis  of  Camden,  the  owner  of  the  estate,  who  died 
in  1840.  Great  College  Street,  College  Place , 
and  College  Street,  are  situated  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  Royal  Veterinary  College.  Oakley 
Square  owes  its  title  to  Oakley  House,  near  Bed- 
ford ;  and  Ampthill  Square  to  Ampthill  Park,  in 
Bedfordshire,  the  names  of  two  seats  of  the  Bed- 
fords;  while  Harrington  Square  was  denominated 
after  the  Earl  of  Harrington,  one  of  whose  daughters 
became  the  wife  of  the  seventh  Duke  of  Bedford. 
Mornington  Crescent  and  Mornington  Place 
were  named  in  honour  of  the  Earl  of  Mornington, 
Governor-General  of  India,  the  brother  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington;  and  Granby  Street  after  John 
Manners,  the  popular  Marquis  of  Granby.  Eden 
Street  covers  the  site  of  the  old  "  Adam  and  Eve  " 
Tea  Gardens.  Skinner  Street,  Somers  Town,  was 
built,  and  is  still  owned  by,  the  Skinners'  Company. 
Pancras  Road  received  its  name  from  the  parish 
church  of  St.  Pancras.  Battle  Bridge  Road  marks 
the  spot  where  the  Romans  defeated  the  Iceni, 
under  Queen  Boadicea,  in  the  year  61.  York 
Road  owes  its  designation  to  the  fact  that  the  Great 
Northern  Railway  was  originally  styled  "  The 
London  and  York  Railway."  Caledonian  Road, 
which  extends  northwards  to  Caledonian  Market, 
was  so  called  after  the  Royal  Caledonian  Asylum, 
founded  for  Scottish  orphans  in  1831.  Liverpool 
Street  and  Sidmouth  Street  recall  the  names  of 
two  popular  Lords  of  the  Ministry,  at  the  accession 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  289 

of  George  IV.  Burton  Crescent  memorializes  its 
builder.  Judd  Street  comprises  the  property  be- 
queathed by  Sir  Andrew  Judd,  Lord  Mayor  in  1551, 
to  the  endowment  of  a  school  at  Tunbridge,  Kent, 
his  native  place.  Great  Coram  Street  affords  us  a 
pleasant  reminder  that  the  Foundling  Hospital  owes 
its  existence  to  the  benevolence  of  Captain  Thomas 
Coram  in  the  year  1739.  Lamb's  Conduit  Street 
preserves  the  name  of  William  Lamb,  a  clothworker 
to  whose  enterprise  "  a  faire  conduit  and  standard/' 
constructed  in  1577,  was  due.  Harpur  Street 
received  its  title  in  honour  of  Sir  William  Harpur, 
Lord  Mayor  in  1562,  whose  property  hereabouts, 
together  with  that  now  known  as  Bedford  Row, 
High  Holborn,  was  devoted  at  his  death  to  the 
foundation  of  a  school  and  other  charitable  purposes 
at  Bedford,  his  native  place. 

Southampton  Row  and  Southampton  Street, 
Great  Russell  Street,  Russell  Square,  Bedford 
Square,  Tavistock  Square,  and  Tavistock  Place, 
were  named  after  Thomas  Wriothlesley,  Earl  of 
Southampton,  Marquis  of  Tavistock,  and  Duke  of 
Bedford,  father  of  Rachel,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Lord  William  Russell,  the  patriot,  already  alluded  to 
in  connection  with  Southampton  Street,  Strand- 
Gordon  Square  perpetuates  the  memory  of  Lady 
Georgina  Gordon,  daughter  of  Alexander,  fourth 
Duke  of  Gordon,  and  wife  of  John,  sixth  Duke  of 
Bedford,  who  had  had  for  his  first  wife  a  daughter 
of  the  noble  house  of  Torrington,  memorialized  by 
Torrington  Square.  Montague  Street  and  Mon- 


290  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

tague  Place  occupy  two  sides  of  the  site  of  Old 
Montague  House,  the  nucleus  of  the  British 
Museum.  Brunswick  Square  and  Mecklen- 
burgh  Square  were  built  and  designated  at  the 
time  when  it  was  considered  the  correct  thing  to 
honour  the  Hanoverian  succession  in  every  possible 
way.  Thurlow  Place  was  named  in  compliment 
to  Lord  Chancellor  Thurlow,  whose  house  was 
situated  in  Great  Ormond  Street,  so  called  after 
the  British  general  and  duke  of  that  title.  Powis 
Place  covers  the  ground  formerly  occupied  by  Powis 
House,  the  town  mansion  of  William  Herbert, 
Marquis  of  Powis,  whose  father  was  outlawed  by 
James  I.  Bloomsbury  Square  is  properly  "  Lomes- 
bury  Square,"  marking  the  site  of  the  manor-house 
described  in  olden  times  as  "  Lomesbury  Village." 
Hart  Street  received  its  name  from  "  The  White 
Hart  "  Inn  ;  and  Red  Lion  Square  and  Red  Lion 
Street,  from  "The  Red  Lion/'  both  hostelries  of 
some  importance  in  the  coaching  days.  Queen's 
Square  was  designated  in  honour  of  Queen  Anne,  in 
whose  reign  it  was  laid  out.  Kingsgate  Street 
was  so  styled  because  the  King  used  it  on  his  way 
to  Newmarket ;  while  Theobalds  Road  led  to 
Theobalds,  in  Herefordshire,  the  favourite  hunting 
seat  of  James  I. 

Coldbath  Square,  Clerkenwell,  marks  the  situa- 
tion of  the  celebrated  Cold  Bath,  fed  by  a  spring  dis- 
covered by  Mr.  Baynes  in  1697.  The  surrounding 
district  before  it  was  built  over  formerly  bore  the 
name  of  Coldbath  Fields.  Vinegar  Yard  is  a 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  291 

corruption  of  the  vineyard  anciently  belonging  to 
the  Priory  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John.  Ray  Street 
preserves  the  memory  of  Miss  Ray,  the  mistress  of 
Lord  Sandwich,  shot  by  her  lover  Hackman.  Roso- 
man  Street  was  designated  after  the  enterprising 
Mr.  Rosoman,  who  converted  Sadler's  Musick  House 
into  a  theatre  in  1765.  Aylesbury  Street  in  olden 
times  skirted  the  wall  of  the  garden  attached  to  the 
town  mansion  of  the  Earls  of  Aylesbury.  Berkeley 
Street  derived  its  name  from  Berkeley  House,  the 
residence  of  Sir  Maurice  Berkeley,  standard-bearer 
to  Henry  VIII. ,  Edward  VI.,  and  Elizabeth.  Albe- 
marle  Street  was  built  during  the  period  that  wit- 
nessed the  popularity  of  General  Monk,  Duke  of 
Albernarle.  In  bygone  times  the  whole  of  Clerken- 
well  received  the  opprobrious  title  of  Hockley-in- 
the-Hole,  the  name  of  a  place  in  Bedfordshire 
noted  far  and  wide  for  its  impassable  and  sloughy 
character.  Hockley  is  an  Anglo-Saxon  term,  de- 
noting a  muddy  field.  Myddleton  Square  and 
Myddleton  Street  perpetuate  the  memory  of  Sir 
Hugh  Myddleton,  the  founder  of  the  New  River 
Waterworks,  opened  September  16,  1613.  Penton- 
Tille  Road  owes  its  title  to  the  ville,  or  rural  man- 
sion, occupied  by  Henry  Penton,  Esq.,  Lord  of  the 
Admiralty  and  M.P.  for  Winchester,  on  the  spot 
where  Penton  Street  now  stands.  Mr.  Penton  died 
in  1812.  St.  John  Street  Road  took  its  name  from 
the  Priory  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem, 
of  which  St.  John's  Gate  is  an  interesting  relic. 
Windmill  Street  marks  the  site  of  three  large 


292  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

windmills  erected  in  Finsbury  Fields,  on  the  mound 
formed  by  a  thousand  cartloads  of  human  bones 
deposited  there  from  the  Charnel  House,  St.  Paul's, 
by  order  of  the  Lord  Protector  Somerset,  in  1549. 
City  Road  was  the  regular  highway  from  the  City 
to  the  "  Angel  "  at  Islington,  and  thence  to  the  north 
of  England,  via  Highbury  and  Highgate.  Shep- 
herdess Walk  was  originally  a  pleasant  path 
leading  through  the  open  fields  direct  from  Finsbury 
to  St.  Mary's  parish  church,  Islington.  Golden 
Lane,  St.  Luke's,  received  its  name  from  the  num- 
ber of  goldsmiths  who  formerly  made  this  neighbour* 
hood  their  residence.  In  Curtain  Road,  Shore- 
ditch,  stood  the  Curtain  Theatre,  opened  in  1571, 
so  called  because  it  was  the  first  playhouse  to  make 
use  of  a  drop-curtain.  Ben  Jonson's  "  Every  Man 
in  his  Humour"  was  produced  here  in  1596.  By 
Norton  Folgate  is  meant  "  the  northern  Falgate," 
the  latter  word  being  the  old  English  description  of 
a  four-barred  gate.  THE  FALGATE  is  a  common 
inn  sign  in  the  rural  districts.  Holywell  Lane, 
near  Shoreditch  Church,  was  so  called  on  account 
of  a  miraculous  well  discovered  here  in  ancient  times. 
In  Nichols  Square,  Haggerstone,  lived  John 
Nichols,  the  antiquary ;  and  in  Sutton  Place, 
Hackney,  Thomas  Sutton,  the  founder  of  the 
Charterhouse.  Queen  Elizabeth's  Walk,  Stoke 
Newington,  marks  the  position  of  a  house  and 
grounds  occupied  by  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  often 
visited  by  Her  Majesty.  Fleetwood  Road  covers 
the  site  of  Fleetwood  House,  the  residence  of  Charles 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  293 

Fleetwood,  the  Parliamentary  general,  and  Deputy- 
Governor  of  Ireland. 

Seven  Sisters'  Road,  Holloway,  received  its 
name  from  seven  trees,  said  to  have  been  planted 
by  seven  sisters,  near  Tottenham,  six  of  which  grew 
erect;  but  the  seventh  presented  a  deformed  appear- 
ance, because  the  sister  who  had  planted  it  was  a 
cripple.  Archway  Road,  Highgate,  is  spanned  by 
the  wonderful  high  arch  completed  in  1813.  Flask 
Walk,  Hampstead,  derived  its  name  from  "  The 
Flask,"  a  picturesque  old  inn  close  by.  Judges' 
Walk,  known  also  as  King's  Bench  Avenue, 
was  originally  so  called  from  a  colony  of  judges  and 
gownsmen  of  the  City,  who  sought  refuge  here  in 
tents  during  the  Great  Plague  in  1665.  Fleet 
Road,  Haverstock  Hill,  affords  us  a  pleasing  re- 
membrance of  that  little  river,  the  Fleet,  meandering 
through  the  fields  in  this  neighbourhood,  and  even- 
tually behind  the  older  houses,  on  its  way  towards 
Battle  Bridge,  the  City,  and  the  Thames.  Dale 
Road  preserves  the  memory  of  Canon  Dale,  poet, 
and  vicar  of  St.  Pancras.  Barrow  Road  and 
Barrow  Hill  Place  commemorate  the  site  of  a 
battle  between  the  Britons  and  Romans,  and  the 
sepulchre  of  the  slain.  The  spot  was  formerly  de- 
fined by  a  farmhouse  that  stood  upon  the  actual 
barrow  known  as  "  Barrow  Hill."  Abbey  Road,  St. 
John's  Wood,  points  to  the  existence  of  the  ancient 
Abbe)7  of  the  Holy  Virgins  of  St.  John  the  Baptist 
(see  ST.  JOHN'S  WOOD).  Desborough  Place, 
Harrow  Road,  received  its  name  from  Desborough 


294  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

House,  the  site  of  which  it  adjoins,  and  where  lived 
John  Dessborough  (or  Desbrowe),  the  brother-in-law 
of  Oliver  Cromwell.  Church  Street,  Paddington,. 
was  so  called  from  the  parish  church  of  St.  Mary, 
situated  on  the  open  space  still  known  as  Padding- 
ton  Green,  Nottingham  Place  was  designated 
after  the  county  in  which  the  chief  landed  estates  of 
the  Duke  of  Portland  are  situated  ;  and  Weymouth 
Street,  in  compliment  to  Lord  Weymouth,  son-in- 
law  of  the  same  nobleman.  Paddington  Street 
was  formerly  a  narrow  lane  leading  northwards  into 
Paddington  Fields. 

Craven  Hill  Gardens  and  Craven  Road,  Bays- 
water,  occupy  the  site  of  the  mansion  and  grounds 
of  the  Lords  Craven  previous  to  the  year  1700,  when 
they  migrated  to  Craven  House,  Drury  Lane. 
Southwick  Crescent  and  Southwick  Place 
received  their  names  from  Southwick  Park,  the  seat 
of  the  Thistlewayte  family,  formerly  the  joint  lessees 
of  Paddington  Manor.  Orme  Square  perpetuates 
the  memory  of  Mr.  Orme,  a  print-seller,  of  Bond 
Street,  who  bought  the  ground  and  commenced  the 
building  of  the  Square  in  question.  Ladbroke 
Grove  and  Ladbroke  Square  likewise  bear  the 
name  of  the  Ladbroke  family,  who  built  upon  the 
land  leased  to  them  for  the  purpose.  Norland 
Square,  Netting  Hill,  covers  the  site  of  Norland 
House,  a  small,  wooded  estate,  owned  by  one  of  the 
Drummonds,  the  bankers,  of  Charing  Cross,  in  the 
reign  of  William  IV,  Kensington  Gore  took  its 
name  from  Gore  House,  the  residence  of  the 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  295 

Countess  of  Blessington,  long  the  central  literary 
and  social  attraction  in  the  Metropolis.  In  Ennis- 
more  Place,  the  second  title  of  the  Earl  of  Lis- 
towel,  the  ground  landlord,  is  repeated.  On  part  of 
the  site  of  Cromwell  Road  stood  the  house  and 
grounds  owned  by  Richard  Cromwell,  the  son  of 
Oliver  Cromwell.  Gloucester  Road  derived  its 
title  from  Oxford  Lodge,  the  residence  of  the  late 
Duchess  of  Gloucester,  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 
Campden  Hill  defines  the  estate  belonging  to 
Campden  House,  still  standing  in  Campden  Square, 
and  originally  occupied  by  Sir  Baptist  Hicks,  who 
built  Hicks'  Hall,  Clerkenwell,  in  1612,  afterwards 
created  Viscount  Campden.  Warwick  Road, 
Warwick  Gardens,  Holland  Road,  and  Earl's 
Court  Road  are  spacious  modern  thoroughfares, 
designated  after  the  Earls  of  Warwick,  the  original 
owners  of  the  estate  known  as  EarPs  Court,  now  in 
the  possession  of  the  Holland  family.  Addison  Road 
reminds  us  that  Joseph  Addison,  the  poet,  essayist, 
and  dramatist,  married  the  Dowager  Countess  of 
Warwick,  and  died  in  Holland  House. 

Cromwell  Place,  Putney,  stands  upon  the  site 
of  Mr.  Champion's  house,  the  lodging  of  General 
Ireton,  Oliver  Cromwell's  son-in-lawr,  in  1646. 
King's  Road,  Chelsea,  was  named  in  honour  of 
Charles  II.,  who  caused  it  to  be  made  passable, 
chiefly  for  the  benefit  of  the  frequenters  of  "  The 
World's  End,"  then  a  popular  house  of  entertain- 
ment. Cheyne  Row  and  Cheyne  Walk  per- 
petuate the  memory  of  Lord  Cheyne,  who  held  the 


296  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

Manor  of  Chelsea  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Justice 
Walk  formerly  contained  the  residence  of  a  magis- 
trate. Marlborough  Square  and  Marlborough 
Road  derived  their  names  from  a  neighbouring 
tavern  displaying  the  sign  of  "  The  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough  "  ;  and  Keppel  Street,  from  "  The  Admiral 
Keppel,"  situated  at  the  corner  of  Fulham  Road. 
Cadogan  Street  and  Cadogan  Square  remind  us 
that  the  manor  of  Chelsea  came  into  the  possession 
of  the  first  Earl  of  Cadogan  by  right  of  his  marriage 
with  the  heiress  of  Sir  Hans  Sloane,  after  whom 
Sloane  Square,  Sloane  Street,  and  Hans  Place 
were  named.  Danvers  Street  was  so  called  after 
Sir  John  Danvers,  who  introduced  the  Italian  style  of 
horticulture  into  England  during  the  reign  of  Eliza- 
beth. The  street  covers  the  site  of  Danvers  House 
in  which  he  lived. 

Grosvenor  Place  and  Grosvenor  Street  re- 
ceived their  names  from  Sir  Thomas  Grosvenor,  the 
ancestor  of  the  Duke  of  Westminster,  the  ground 
landlord  of  the  district  collectively  known  as  Bel- 
gravia ;  Eccleston  Street  and  Eccleston  Square 
from  Eccleston,  in  Cheshire,  the  county  in  which 
the  landed  property  of  the  Grosvenors  chiefly  lies  ; 
and  Belgrave  Square  and  Belgrave  Street  from 
the  Viscountcy  of  Belgravia,  the  second  title  of  the 
Duke  of  Westminster  before  he  was  raised  to  his 
superior  titles.  Ebury  Street  and  Ebury  Square 
mark  the  site  of  Ebury  or  Eabury  Farm,  an  ancient 
manor  inherited  by  Miss  Mary  Davies,  already 
referred  to  when  speaking  of  Davies  Street,  Oxford 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  297 

Street,  and  carried  into  the  family  of  the  Grosvenors 
ty  her  marriage.  Chester  Square  reproduces  the 
name  of  the  city  near  which  Eaton  Hall,  which 
gives  its  title  to  Eaton  Square,  the  principal  seat 
of  the  Duke  of  Westminster,  is  situated.  Lupus 
Street  perpetuates  a  favourite  Christian  name  in 
the  Grosvenor  family,  retained  in  honour  of  Henry 
Lupus,  created  Earl  of  Chester  soon  after  the  Con- 
quest. St.  George's  Square  was  designated  after 
the  adjacent  church  dedicated  to  St.  George. 
Lowndes  Street,  Lowndes  Square,  and  Chesham 
Street,  Pimlico,  are  indebted  for  their  title  to 
Lowndes  of  the  Bury,  near  Chesham,  Buckingham- 
shire, the  ground  landlord,  a  descendant  of  William 
Lowndes,  secretary  to  the  Treasury  during  the  reign 
of  Queen  Anne. 

Vauxhall  Bridge  Road  forms  a  connecting  link 
between  Vauxhall  Bridge  and  Victoria  Street,  a 
.gloomy  modern  thoroughfare  named  in  honour  of 
our  present  sovereign.  Birdcage  Walk  comprised 
the  place  where  the  aviary  of  Charles  II.  was  per- 
manently located,  under  the  superintendence  of 
Master  Edward  Storey,  the  royal  keeper,  whose 
Tiouse  covered  the  spot  now  styled  Storey's  Gate 
in  his  memory.  Queen  Anne's  Gate  derived  its 
name  from  Queen  Anne's  Square,  in  whose  reign 
this  characteristic  enclosure  was  built.  York 
Street  was  designated  in  honour  of  Frederick,  Duke 
of  York,  son  of  George  III.,  who  lived  in  it  for  a 
:short  time.  Delahay  Street  compliments  a  family 
of  this  name  long  resident  in  St.  Margaret's  parish. 


298  Names  :  and  their  Meaning. 

Rochester  Row  was  denominated  after  the 
Bishopric  of  Rochester,  anciently  combined  with 
the  Deanery  of  Westminster,  but  separated  in  the 
reign  of  George  III.  New  Bridge  Street  leads  to 
the  handsome  bridge  over  the  Thames,  opened  May 
24, 1862.  Cannon  Row  is  properly  "  Canon  Row," 
formerly  the  residence  of  the  Canons  of  St.  Stephen's 
Chapel.  King  Street  received  its  title  because  it 
was  the  direct  road  between  the  Court  and  the 
Abbey.  Princes  Street,  a  modern  thoroughfare, 
occupying  the  site  of  Old  Westminster  Mews,  was 
so  called  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  King  Street 
Parker  Street  perpetuates  the  memory  of  Arch- 
bishop Parker,  one  of  the  principal  benefactors  of 
Corpus  Christi  College,  Cambridge.  This  street 
was  formerly  known  as  Bennet  Street,  the  old  name 
of  the  College.  Great  George  Street  covers  the 
ground  originally  occupied  by  the  stable-yard  of 
"The  George  and  the  Dragon,"  a  well-known 
coaching  house  in  bygone  days.  The  name  of  Broad 
Sanctuary,  Westminster,  reminds  us  of  the  protec- 
tion which  in  olden  times  was  afforded  to  criminals 
of  all  degrees  so  long  as  they  remained  beneath  the 
shadow  of  a  monastery  or  cathedral.  Abingdon 
Street  contained  the  mansion  of  the  Earls  of  Abing- 
don. Holywell  Street  owes  its  title  to  the  name  of 
an  estate  of  the  Grosvenors  in  Flintshire,  whose  town 
residence  was  displaced  by  the  formation  of  this 
street.  Barton  Street  and  Cowley  Street  were 
both  built  by  Barton  Booth,  the  actor;  to  the  former 
he  gave  his  Christian  name,  to  the  latter  the  name 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  299 

of  his  favourite  poet.  Marsham  Street,  Earl 
Street,  and  Romney  Street  comprise  the  property 
of  Charles  Marsham,  Earl  of  Romney ;  while  Old 
Pye  Street  and  New  Pye  Street  commemorate 
the  existence  of  Sir  Robert  Pye,  who  lived  in  the 
more  modern  portion  of  this  neighbourhood  known 
as  The  New  Way.  Great  Peter  Street  recalls 
the  fact  that  the  Abbey  of  Westminster  was  dedi- 
cated to  St.  Peter.  Vine  Street  marks  the  situation 
of  the  vineyard,  and  Orchard  Street  the  orchard, 
anciently  possessed  by  the  Abbots.  Tothill  Street 
received  its  name  from  Tothill  Fields,  comprising 
the  old  manor  of  Tothill,  a  corruption  of  Toothill, 
or  beacon  hill ;  toot  being  derived  from  the  Welsh 
twt,  a  rising.  Horseferry  Road  needs  no  comment. 
Millbank  derived  its  name  from  an  old  mansion 
belonging  to  the  Grosvenor  family,  that  stood  on  the 
site  of  an  old  mill  which  alone  graced  this  portion  of 
the  Thames  bank. 

On  the  site  of  Carlisle  Lane,  Lambeth,  stood 
Carlisle  House,  the  residence  of  the  Bishops  of 
Rochester  from  the  thirteenth  century  downwards. 
Marlborough  Road,  Peckham,  covers  the  ground 
plot  of  a  Marlborough  House,  the  residence  of  John 
Churchill,  Duke  of  Marlborough.  Hanover  Street 
was  named  in  compliment  to  the  accession  of  George 
I.  Basing  Yard,  at  the  rear  of  Hanover  Street, 
occupies  the  site  of  Basing  House,  well  known 
during  the  Restoration.  Rye  Lane  leads  to  the 
Rye,  or  Common.  Friern  Place  and  Friern  Road 
define  the  locality  of  Friern  Manor ;  while  Lordship 


300  Names :  and  their  Meaning. 

Lane  owes  its  designation  to  the  lordship  of  the 
manor.  Effra  Road,  Camberwell,  marks  the  course 
of  the  little  river  Effra,  now  hidden,  like  the  Fleet, 
from  public  view.  Newington  Butts  denotes  the 
archery  grounds,  formerly  situated  in  the  new  town 
in  the  meadow.  Holland  Street,  Southwark,  pre- 
serves the  name,  at  least  in  part,  of  an  old  manor, 
described  as  "  Holland's  Leaguer."  Great  Suffolk 
Street  recalls  the  existence  of  Suffolk  House,  the 
residence  of  George  Brandon,  Duke  of  Suffolk ; 
Winchester  Yard,  of  Winchester  House,  the  habi- 
tation of  the  Bishops  of  Winchester ;  and  Sumner 
Street,  of  Dr.  Sumner,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  one 
of  the  last  occupants  of  the  house  just  referred  to. 
Mill  Lane  reminds  us  of  an  old  windmill  that  stood 
here  in  less  prosaic  times  ;  and  Mint  Street,  of  the 
Mint  established  by  Henry  VIII.  in  Suffolk  House, 
when  that  property  became  demised  to  the  Crown. 
Stony  Street  and  Stones  End  received  their 
names  from  the  stony  nature  of  the  ground ;  the 
former  having  been  the  Roman  continuation  of 
Watling  Street,  south  of  the  Thames,  in  a  direct 
line  to  Dover.  Bear  Garden,  situated  at  the 
corner  of  Sumner  Street,  marks  the  exact  position 
of  the  old  Paris  Garden,  a  bear-baiting  establish- 
ment, opened  by  Robert  de  Paris  in  the  time  of 
Richard  I.  Bankside,  or  the  south  strand  of  the 
Thames,  is  historically  interesting  on  account  of  its 
theatrical  associations. 

Old  Kent  Road,  which  branches  off  at  "  The 
Bricklayers'  Arms  "  into  Great  Dover  Street  and 
Kent  Street,  forms  the  great  Kentish  highway  into 


London  Streets  and  Squares.  301 

London.  Thomas  Street  perpetuates  the  Christian 
name  of  the  philanthropic  founder  of  Guy's  Hospital 
hard  by.  Grange  Road  and  Grange  Walk  occupy 
the  site  of  an  old  mansion  known  as  "  The  Grange." 
Spa  Road  derived  its  name  from  a  spa,  or  mineral 
well,  discovered  here  in  the  long,  long  ago.  Russell 
Street  preserves  the  memory  of  Richard  Russell, 
who,  dying  here  in  1784,  left  the  whole  of  his 
estate  to  neighbouring  charities.  In  Tooley  Street 
lived  the  three  tailors  who,  according  to  tradition, 
presented  a  petition  to  the  House  of  Commons  that 
began  with  the  words,  "  We,  the  people  of  England, 
&c."  During  the  Commonwealth  this  street 
figured  in  documents  as  St.  Tulie  Street,  but  it  is 
properly  designated  St.  Olaff  Street,  after  the  neigh- 
bouring church  dedicated  to  St.  Olaff  or  Olave,  the 
Scandinavian  hero-prince.  Blue  Anchor  Road 
and  Blue  Anchor  Lane  received  their  names  from 
"The  Blue  Anchor,"  an  old  tavern  that  stood  in  the 
latter  thoroughfare  ;  while  Jamaica  Road  recalls 
a  similar  establishment,  formerly  situated  on  the 
site  of  Cherry  Gardens,  a  popular  place  of  resort 
in  bygone  times,  known  as  "  The  Jamaica,"  after 
the  West  Indian  Island  whence  rum  was  shipped 
and  disembarked  on  the  exact  spot  where  the  penny 
steamboats  now  land  and  take  up  their  passengers  at 
Cherry  Gardens  Pier.  Lastly,  Evelyn  Street, 
Deptford,  was  designated  in  honour  of  the  present 
head  of  the  Evelyn  family,  descendants  of  John 
Evelyn,  the  diarist,  viz.,  William  J.  Evelyn,  of 
Wotton,  who  built  the  adjacent  Church  of  St.  Luke, 
in  the  year  1872. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Abbess,  101 

Abbey,  100 

Abbey  Road,  N.W.,  293 

Abbot,  1 01 

Abigail,  229 

Abingdon  Street,  S.W.,  298 

Abney  House,  153 

Abney  Park,  153 

Abraham  Newlands,  255 

Abyssinia,  36 

Acre,  272 

Acton,  157 

Adamant,  244 

Adamites,  69 

Adam  Street,  W.C.,  275 

Addison  of  the  North,  The,  132 

Addison  Road,  W.,  295 

Adelaide,  The,  190 

Adelaide  Island,  54 

Adelphi,  275 

Adelphi  Terrace,  W.C.,  275 

Admirable  Crichton,  198 

Adonis,  119 

Afghanistan,  36 

Africa,  35 

Agar  Town,  154 

Agate,  245 

Agnostic,  62 

Air  Street,  W.,  281 

Alabama,  47 

Albany,  The,  220 

Albany  Street,  N.W.,  287 

Albemarle  Street,  W.,  280 

Albemarle  Street,  E.G.,  291 

Albert  Bridge,  224 

Albert  Gate,  S.W.,  278 

Albert  Hall,  224 


Albert  Memorial,  224 

Albert  Palace,  224 

Albigenses,  68 

Aldermanbury,  E.G.,  262 

Aldersgate  Street,  E.G.,  269 

Aldgate,  E.,  265 

Ale,  241 

Aleutian  Islands,  54 

Alexandra  Palace,  224 

Alfred  the  Great,  87 

Algiers,  42 

Allhallows    Barking,     Church    of, 

214 

Allhallowes  Day,  172 
Allhallowe'en,  172 
All  Saints'  Bay,  51 
All  Saints'  Day,  171 
All  Souls'  Day,  172 
All  the  Nations,  Battle  of,  164 
Almanac,  175 

Almack's  Assembly  Rooms,  225 
Almighty  Nose,  The,  247 
Alpaca,  177 
Alsatia,  260 

Amen  Corner,  E.G.,  261 
America,  35 
American  Indians,  35 
Amethyst,  245 

Ampthill  Square,  N.W.,  288 
Anabaptist,  75 
Anacreon  Moore,  131 
Angel,  254 
Angel,  The,  81 
Angelic  Doctor,  The,  197 
Anglesea,  57,  137 
Anglican  Church,  67 
Angola,  176 
Annunciation,  Feast  of  the,  166 


304 


Index. 


Antarctic  Ocean,  49 

Apocalypse,  126 

Apocrypha,  125 

Apollinarians,  66 

Apostle  of  Temperance,  The,  200 

April,  59 

Apsley  House,  220 

Aquarians,  66 

Arabia,  36 

Arbor  Day,  174 

Arcadian,  231 

Archway  Road,  N.,  293 

Arctic  Ocean,  48 

Argentina,  43 

Argyll  Street,  W.,  282 

Arians,  66 

Aristocracy,  ill 

Arkansas,  47 

Arlington  Street,  W.,  280 

Arminians,  70 

Arras,  180 

Artemus  Ward,  183 

Artillery  Lane,  E.G.,  267 

Arundel  Street,  W.C.,  273 

Arundel  Street,  S.W.,  277 

Ascension  Day,  171 

Ascension  Island,  56 

Ascot  Races,  210 

Ash  Wednesday,  168 

Asia,  35 

Asia  Minor,  36 

Assumption,  Feast  of  the,  171 

Aspasia,  119 

Astoria,  48 

Atheist,  6 1 

Atlantic  Ocean,  49 

Atlas,  107 

Audley  Street,  North,  W.,  285 

Audley  Street,  South,  W.,  285 

Augsburg  Confession,  The,  68 

August,  57 

Augustin  Friars,  101 

Austin  Friars,  E.G.,  267 

Australasia,  52 

Australia,  52 

Austria,  41 

Authorized  Version,  The,  123 

Ave  Maria  Lane,  E.G.,  261 

Aylesbury  Street,  E.G.,  291 


B. 

Bacchanals,  The,  83 
Bachelor,  231 
Bachelor  of  Arts,  232 
Bachelor's  Buttons,  118 
Badminton,  128 
Baffin  Land,  55 
Bag  o'  Nails,  The,  83 
Baker  Street,  W.,  286 
Balearic  Islands,  56 
Ball,  143 
Billad,  144 
Ballet,  144 
Ball's  Pond,  153 
Baltic  Sea,  49 
Baltimore,  46 
Baltimore-bird,  99 
Banker  Poet,  The,  131 
Bankers'  Clearing  House,  227 
Bankside,  S.E.,  300 
Banks  Land,  55 

Banquetting  Hall,  Whitehall,  220 
Bantam,  99 
Baptists,  75 
Barb,  99 
Barbadoes,  55 
Barbarians,  231 
Barbarossa,  91 
Barbary,  42 
Barber,  231 
Barber-Surgeons,  231 
Barbican,  E.G.,  268 
Baring  Island,  54 
Barley  Mow,  The,  84 
Barnard's  Inn,  208 
Barnsbury,  154 

Barrow  Hill  Place,  N.W.,  293 
Barrow  Island,  54 
Barrow  Road,  N.W.,  293 
Barrow's  Strait,  51 
Bartholomew  Close,  E.G.,  269 
Bartholomew  Fair,  269 
Bartholomew  Lane,  E.G.,  266 
Barry  Cornwall,  181 
Barton  Street,  S.W.,  298 
Basilians,  103 

Basinghall  Street,  E.G.,  262 
Basing  Yard,  S.E.,  299 
Bassano,  II,  206 


Index. 


305 


Bath  chair,  189 

Bath  Street,  E.G.,  269 

Battle  Bridge  Road,  N.W.,  288 

Battle  of  all  the  Nations,  164 

Battle  of  Spurs,  164 

Battle  of  the  Giants,  164 

Battle  of  the  Hearings,  163 

Battle  of  the  Spurs  of  Gold,  164 

Battle  of  the  Standard,  163 

Battersea,  159 

Bayeaux  Tapestry,  179 

Bayham  Street,  N.W.,  287 

Baynard's  Castle,  156 

Bay  of  Biscay,  5 1 

Bayswater,  156 

Bayswater  Fields,  156 

Bear,  The,  84 

Bear  and  Ragged  Staff,  The,  78 

Bear  Garden,  S.E.,  300 

Beau  Brummell,  199 

Beauchamp  Tower,  215 

Beauclerc,  88 

Beau  Fielding,  199 

Beau  Nash,  199 

Beckenham,  161 

Bedfordbury,  W.C.,  274 

Bedford  Row,  W.C.,  289 

Bedfordshire,  136 

Bedford  Square,  W.C.,  289 

Bedford  Street,  W.C.,  274 

Bedlam,  219 

Beech  Lane,  E.G.,  268 

Beefeaters,  232 

Beer,  241 

Beer  Bible,  124 

Belgium,  40 

Belgrave  Square,  S.W.,  296 

Belgrave  Street,  S.W.,  296 

Belgravia,  149 

Bell,  The,  84 

Belleisle,  57 

Bell  the  Cat,  246 

Beloochistan,  36 

Belvedere,  The,  192 

Benchers,  209 

Benedictines,  102 

Bennett  Street,  W.,  280 

Bentinck  Street,  W.,  284 

Berkeley  Place,  W.,  286 


Berkeley  Square,  W. ,  279 

Berkeley  Street,  W.,  279 

Berkeley  Street,  E.G.,  291 

Berkshire,  135 

Berlin  Blue,  146 

Bermondsey,  160 

Bermuda  Islands,  55 

Bernardines,  103 

Berners  Street,  W.,  283 

Bethlehem,  219 

Bethlehem  Hospital,  219 

Bethlemites,  69 

Bethnal  Green,  152 

Bevis  Marks,  E.G.,  267 

Bible,  122 

Bideford  Postman,  The,  131 

Billingsgate,  217 

Billiter  Street,  E.G.,  265 

Birchin  Lane,  E.G.,  267 

Birdcage  Walk,  S.W.,  297 

Birds  of  Paradise,  97 

Bishops'  Bible,  123 

Bishopsgate  Street,  E.G.,  267 

Bishop's  Wood,  155 

Black  Agnes,  195 

Black  Bear,  The,  84 

Blackbird,  97 

Black  Bull,  The,  78 

Black  Cloaks,  114 

Black  Douglas,  246 

Black  Friars,  101 

Blackfriars  Bridge,  260 

Blackfriars  Road,  S.E.,  260 

Blackguard,  237 

Blackheath,  161 

Black  Jack,  The,  85 

Blackleg,  237 

Black  Posts,  The,  189 

Black  Prince,  Edward  the,  88 

Black  Sea,  49 

Blandford  Square,  N.W.,  286 

Blandford  Street,  N.W.,  286 

Blankets,  178 

Blenheim  Street,  W.,  282 

Blind  Chapel  Court,  E.G.,  265 

Bloody  Butcher,  The,  248 

Bloody  Mary,  89 

Bloody  Tower,  215 

Bloomsbury,  1 50 


20 


306 


Index. 


Bloomsbury  Square,  W.C.,  290 

Blue  Anchor  Lane,  S.E.,  301 

Blue  Anchor  Road,  S.E.,  301 

Blue-bell  of  Scotland,  117 

Blue-bird,  96 

Blue  Boar,  The,  80 

Blue  Book,  106 

Blue-bottle,  117 

Blue  Coat  School,  218 

Blue  Lion,  The,  78 

Blue  Pig,  The,  83 

Blue  Posts,  The,  189 

Blue  Stocking,  229 

Blue  Stocking  Club,  229 

Bluff  King  Hal,  89 

Boar's  Head,  The,  78 

Boat-bill,  98 

Bobbies,  232 

Bock -bier,  243 

Bohemia,  40 

Bohemians,  233 

Bolingbroke,  89 

Bolivia,  43 

Bolsover  Street,  W.,  283 

Bolt  Court,  E.C.,  259 

Bomba,  91 

Bond  Street,  W.,  280 

Boniface,  230 

Book,  1 06 

Bookmaker,  237 

Book  of  Deuteronomy,  125 

Book  of  Exodus,  125 

Book  of  Genesis,  125 

Book  of  Leviticus,  125 

Book  of  Numbers,  125 

Bookseller,  107 

Bookstall  Smith,  203 

Borneo,  53 

Borough,  1 60 

Boscobel,  The,  85 

Bosnia,  41 


Bosphorus,  52 
Boss  Alley,  E.G., 


264 


Botany  Bay,  51 
Bottle,  The,  85 
Bourbon  Island,  53 
Bow  Church,  213 
Bowling  Green,  The,  84 
Bow  Street,  W.C.,  274 


Bow  Street  Runners,  232 

Boxing  Day,  168 

Boycotters,  112 

Boz,  182 

Brahma-fowl,  99 

Brahmins,  64 

Brandy,  257 

Brazil,  43 

Bread  Street,  E.C.,  262 

Break,  139 

Breakdown,  145 

Brecknock,  137 

Brecknock  Crescent,  N.W.,  287 

Brecknock  Road,  N.W.,  287 

Breeches  Bible,  124 

Brentford,  157 

Bricklayers'  Arms,  The,  85 

Bride  Lane,  E.C.,  259 

Bridewell,  216 

Bridge  Street,  E.C.,  260 

Bridge  Street,  S.W.,  298 

Bridgewater  Square,  E.C.,  269 

Bristol-board,  105 

Bristol  House,  223 

Britain,  38 

Britannia,  38 

British  Columbia,  45 

British  Matron,  The,  94 

Brittany,  40 

Brixton,  162 

Broad  Church,  76 

Broadcloth,  178 

Broad  Sanctuary,  S.W.,  298 

Broadside,  107 

Broad  Street,  E.G.,  268 

Broadway,  E.C.,  260 

Brocade,  177 

Brochure,  106 

Brook  Street,  W.,  281 

Brooke  Street,  W.C.,  270 

Brother  Jonathan,  93 

Brougham,  138 

Bruce  Castle,  221 

Brunswick  Black,  146 

Brunswick  Green,  146 

Brunswick  Square,  W.C.,  290 

Brussels  Lace,  180 

Bruton  Street,  W. ,  279 

Bryanstone  Square,  W.,  286 


Index. 


307 


Bryanstone  Street,  W.,  286 
Buckingham  Palace,  219 
Buckinghamshire,  135 
Buckingham  Street,  W.C.,  275 
Bucklersbury,  E.G.,  263 
Budge  Row,  E.G.,  263 
Budget,  256 
Buddhists,  64 
Buffet,  232 
Bug  Bible,  124 


uggy,  J39 

ulgaria, 


Bulgaria,  41 

Bull  and  Gate,  The,  83 

Bull  and  Mouth,  The,  83 

Bullion,  255 

Bully  Ruffian,  The,  83 

Bunhill  Fields,  151 

Burglar,  238 

Burgundy,  127 

Burleigh  Street,  W.C.,  275 

Burlington  House,  221 

Burlington  Street,  W.,  280 

Burmah,  64 

Burton  Crescent,  W.C.,  289 

Bury  Street,  S.W.,  277 

Buttercup,  120 

"  By  Jingo  !"  116 

C. 

Cab,  140 
Cabbage-rose,  120 
Cabinet  Portrait,  185 
Cabriolet,  140 
Cadogan  Square,  S.W.,  296 
Cadogan,  Street,  S.W.,  296 
Gaels,  38 
Caledonia,  38 
Caledonian  Market,  288 
Caledonian  Road,  N.,  288 
Calendar,  175 
Calico,  176 
California,  45 
Calvinists,  68 
Cam,  136,  162 
Camber  well,  162 
Cambria,  39 
Cambric,  176 
Cambridge,  162 
Cambridgeshire,  136 


I   Camden  Town,  155 
Camellia,  119 
Cameronians,  73 
Camisards,  69 

Camomile  Street,  E.G.,  267 
Campden  Hill,  W.,  295 
Campden  Square,  W.,  295 
Canada,  45 
Canary,  99 
Canary  Islands,  56 
Canary  Wine,  128 
Candia,  57 
Candlemas  Day,  166 
Candlewick  Street,  E.G.,  263 
Canning,  The,  85 
Cannon  Row,  S.W.,  298 
Cannon  Street,  E.G.,  263 
Canonbury,  153 
Canterbury  Arms,  The,  193 
Canterbury  Music  Hall,  193 
Capability  Brown,  205 
Cape  Colony,  43 
Cape  Horn,  43 
Capel  Court,  226 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  43 
Cap-paper,  104 
Capri,  56 
Caps,  The,  113 
Capuchin  Friars,  102 
Carat,  245 
Carbonari,  114 
Carburton  Street,  W.,  285 
Cardigan,  137 
Cardinal,  147 
Caribbean  Sea,  49 
Carlisle  Lane,  S.E.,  298 
Carlisle  Street,  W.,  283 
Carlton  House  Terrace,  S.W.,  277 
Carmarthen,  137 
Carmelites,  IOI 
Carmine,  147 
Carnarvon,  137 
Carnation,  118,  147 
Carolina,  46 
Caroline  Islands,  53 
Carollus,  254 
Carpentaria,  Gulf  of,  51 
Carpenter,  230 
Carpenters'  Arms,  The,  82 


Index. 


Carte-de-Visite,  185 
Carthusians,  102 
Cartoon,  107 
Cartridge-paper,  104 
Cashmere,  176 
Caspian  Sea,  50 
Cassius,  148 
Castle,  The,  84 
Castle  Street,  W.,  283 
Castle  Street,  W.C.,  271 
Cat  and  Fiddle,  The,  83 
Cat  and  Wheel,  The,  83 
Catford,  161 

Catherine  Street,  W.C.,  273 
Catherine  Wheel,  The,  83 
Catholics,  66 
Cavaliers,  ill 
Cavendish  Square,  W.,  284 
Cavendish  Street,  W.,  284 
Cecil  Street,  W.C.,  275 
Celestial  Empire,  37 
Century  White,  130 
Ceylon,  53 
Chaffinch,  98 
Chalk  Farm,  155 
Champagne,  127 
Chancery  Lane,  E.C.,  271 
Chandos  House,  220 
Chandos  Street,  W.,  285 
Chandos  Street,  W.C.,  275 
Change  Alley,  E.G.,  266 
Chantilly  Lace,  180 
Chapel  Street,  W.,  278 
Chaperon,  228 
Charing  Cross,  275 
Charlemagne,  91 
Charles  Mart  el,  246 
Charles  Street,  W.,  279 
Charles  Street,  N.W.,  287 
Charlotte  Street,  W.,  283 
Chart,  106 
Charterhouse,  21 8 
Chartists,  115 
Chartreuse,  102 
Cheap  Jack,  236 
Cheapside,  261 
Check,  179 
Checkers,  179 
Chelsea,  158 


Chepe,  262 
Chequers,  The,  179 
Cherry  Gardens,  S.E.,  301 
Cherry  Gardens  Pier,  301 
Chesham  Street,  S.W.,  297 
Cheshire,  133 
Chester,  133 
Chesterfield  House,  278 
Chesterfield  Street,  W.,  278 
Chester  Square,  S.W.,  297 
Chevalier,  in 
Cheyne  Row,  S.W.,  295 
Cheyne  Walk,  S.W.,  295 
Chicadee,  96 
Chichester  Rents,  271 
Childermas  Day,  167 
Chili,  43 

Chimney-swallow,  98 
China,  36 

Chinese  Yellow,  146 
Chintz,  177 
Chiswick,  158 
Christians,  65 
Christmas  Box,  1 68 
Christmas  Day,  167 
Christmas  Dole,  168 
Christmas  Island,  52 
Christmas-rose,  120 
Christ's  Hospital,  218 
Chrysanthemum,  121 
Church  of  England,  67 
Church  Street,  N.W.,  294 
Cinderella  Dance,  143 
Circassia,  37 
Cistercians,  102 
City  Golgotha,  The,  2l6 
City  Road,  N.,  292 
Clare  Market,  W.C.,  272 
Clarence,  138 
Claret,  128 

Clarges  Street,  W.,  280 
Claude  Lorraine,  206 
Clearing  House,  227 
Clement's  Inn,  208 
Clerkenwell,  150 
Cleveland  Street,  W.,  283 
Clifford's  Inn,  208 
Clifford  Street,  W.,  280 
Clipstone  Street,  W.,  285 


Index. 


309 


Cloak  Lane,  E.G.,  259 

Clock  House,  The,  223 

Cloth  Fair,  E.G.,  269 

Clown  Tavern,  The,  192 

Cluniacs,  102 

Coach, 140 

Coach  and  Horses,  The,  83 

Coachmakers'  Arms,  The,  82 

Cobourg,  176 

Cockney,  238 

Cceur  de  Leon,  88 

Cognac,  257 

Colbertine,  180 

Coldbath  Fields,  290 

Coldbath  Square,  E.G.,  290 

Coleman  Street,  E.G.,  262 

Colleen,  229 

Colleen  Bawn,  229 

College  Hill,  E.G.,  264 

College  of  Arms,  218 

College  Place,  N.W.,  288 

College  Street,  N.W.,  288 

Colony,  Cape,  43 

Colorado,  47 

Columbia,  44,  45 

Comb's  Mass,  173 

Compton  Street,  W.,  282 

Conduit  Street,  W.,  281 

Confederalists,  114 

Confederates,  114 

Confessor,  87 

Conformists,  74 

Congregationalists,  75 

Congregational  Memorial  Hall,  217 

Connecticut,  47 

Consols,  256 

Conqueror,  The,  88 

Conservative,  HO 

Convent,  100 

Conventional  Friars,  102 

Convolvulus,  1 20 

Copenhagen  Fields,  152 

Copperheads,  115 

Cordeliers,  102 

Corduroy,  178 

Cordovan,  230 

Cord  wain,  230 

Cordwainer,  230 

Cork  Street,  W.,  280 


Corn-flower,  117 
Cornhill,  266 

Corn  Law  Rhymer,  The,  132 
Cornwall,  135 
Corporal  John,  248 
Corpus  Christi,  Feast  of,  170 
Corsica,  56 
Coryphee,  144 
Costa  Rica,  44 
Costermonger,  236 
Country  Dance,  143 
Covenanters,  Scottish,  73 
Covent  Garden,  274 
Coventry  Street,  W.,  276 
Cowley  Street,  S.W.,  298 
Cowslip,  120 
Coxcomb,  117 
Cracknut  Night,  172 
Cranbourne  Street,  W.,  276 
Crane's-bill,  118 
Cranmer's  Bible,  123 
Craven  Cottage,  223 
Craven  Hill  Gardens,  W.,  295 
Craven  Road,  W.,  295 
Craven  Street,  W.C.,  276 
Creed  Lane,  E.G.,  261 
Cremorne  Gardens,  193 
Cricketers'  Arms,  The,  85 
Crimea,  37 
Crimson,  147 
Cripplegate,  E.C.,  268 
Cromwell  House,  222 
Cromwell  Place,  S.W.,  295 
Cromwell  Road,  W.,  295 
Crooked  Lane,  E.C.,  264 
Crosby  Hall,  217 
Cross-bill,  98 
Cross  Keys,  The,  Si 
Crown,  The,  80 
Crown  and  Anchor,  The,  80 
Crown  and  Sceptre,  The,  80 
Crown-paper,  104 
Crown-piece,  253 
Cruel,  The,  91 
Crusted  Port,  129 
Crutched  Friars,  101 
Crutched  Friars,  E.C.;  265 
Crystal  Palace,  224 
Cuba,  55 


3io 


Index. 


Cuckoo,  96 
Cumberland,  133 
Cumberland  Gate,  W.,  278 
Cumberland  Market,  N.W.,  287 
Curlew,  96 
Cursitor,  271 

Cursitor  Street,  E.G.,  271 
Curtain  Road,  E.G.,  292 
Curzon  Street,  W.,  279 
Cyprus,  57,  127 

D. 

Daffodil,  120 

Daguerreotype,  185 

Dahlia,  119 

Daisy,  120 

Dale  Road,  N.W.,  293 

Dalston,  152 

Damask,  176 

Damask-rose,  119 

Damassin,  177 

Dancing  Chancellor,  The,  203 

Dandy,  233 

Dane's  Inn,  208 

Danvers  Street,  S.W.,  296 

Dardanelles,  52 

Davies  Street,  W.,  281 

"D.D.  Cellars,"  The,  205 

Dead  Sea,  49 

Dean  Street,  W.,  282 

De  Eeauvoir  Town,  152 

December,  59 

Defender  of  the  Faith,  89 

Deist,  61 

Delahay  Street,  S.W.,  297 

Delaware,  48 

Del  Salviati,  206 

Democrats,  no 

Denbigh,  137 

Denmark,  40 

Denzil  Street,  W.C.,  272 

Deptford,  160 

Derby  Races,  210 

Derbyshire,  136 

Desborough  Place,  \V.,  293 

Desolation  Island,  53 

Deuteronomy,  Book  of,  125 

Devereaux  Court,  W.C.,  273 

Devil,  The,  191 


Devonshire,  135 

Devonshire  House,  220 

Devonshire  Square,  E.G.,  267 

Diamond,  244 

Dimity,  176 

Dirty  Dick,  205 

Dissenters,  74 

Distaff's  Day,  167 

Diver,  98 

Dizzy,  202 

Doctors'  Commons,  218 

Dog  and  Duck,  The,  84 

Dog-cart,  138 

Dog-rose,  119 

Dollar,  255 

Dolphin,  254 

Dominica  Island,  55 

Dominicans,  101 

Donatists,  66 

Doncaster  St.  Leger,  210 

Dorset  Buildings,  E.G.,  259 

Dorset  Gardens  Theatre,  259 

Dorsetshire,  134 

Dorset  Square,  N.W.,  286 

Dorset  Street,  E.G.,  259 

Dorset  Street,  N.W.,  286 

Douay  Bible,  123 

Douglas,  Bell  the  Cat,  246 

Dover  House,  220 

Dover  Street,  W.,  280 

Dowager,  228 

Dowgate,  E.G.,  264 

Drury  Lane,  W.C.,  272 

Dry  Wine,  129 

Ducat,  253 

Duchess  Street,  W.,  284 

Duck-bill,  98 

Duck's  Foot  Lane,  E.G.,  264 

Dudley  Diamond,  245 

Duenna,  228 

Duke  of  Cambridge,  The,  86 

Duke  of  Connaught,  The,  86 

Duke  of  Edinburgh,  The,  86 

Duke's  Place,  E.G.,  266 

Duke  Street,  W.,  278,  284,  285 

Duke  Street,  E.G.,  269 

Duke  Street,  W.G.,  275 

Dulwich,  161 

Dun,  235 


Index. 


Duodecimo,  no 

Durham,  133 

Dutchman,  239 

Dye,  146 

Dyers'  Buildings,  E.G.,  271 

E. 

Eagle,  The,  80 
Earl  of  March,  The,  80 
Earl  Street,  S.W.,  299 
Earls'  Court  Road,  W.,  295 
Earls'  Court,  295 
Eastcheap,  E.G.,  265 
Easter,  169 
Easter  Island,  54 
Eaton  Square,  S.W.,  297 
Ebury  Square,  S.W.,  296 
Ebury  Street,  S.W.,  296 
Eccleston  Square,  S.W.,  296 
Eccleston  Street,  S.W.,  296 
Ecuador,  44 
Eden  Street,  N.W.,  288 
Edgar  Atheling,  87 
Edmonton,  153 
Edmund  Ironsides,  87 
Edward  Longshanks,  88 
Edward  Street,  W.,  284 
Edward  Street,  N.W.,  287 
Edward  the  Black  Prince,  88 
Edward  the  Confessor,  87 
Edward  the  Martyr,  87 

Effra  Road,  S.E.,  300 

Egalite  Philippe,  91 
Egypt,  42 

Egyptian  Hall,  225 

Elephant-paper,  104 

Elephant  and  Castle,  The,  188 

Elia,  182 

Eltham,  161 

Ely  Place,  E.G.,  270 

Ember  Days,  171 

Ember  Weeks,  171 

Embroidery,  179 

Emerald,  245 

Emerald  Green,  148 

Emerald  Isle,  The,  39 

Emergency  Men,  112 

England,  38 

Engrosser,  230 


Entire,.  242 

Ennismore  Place,  S.W.,  295 

Epiphany,  Feast  of  the,  167 

Epsom  Races,  210 

Erie,  Lake,  48 

Erskine  House,  223 

Essex,  134 

Essex  House,  223 

Essex  Street,  W.C.,  273 

Ethelred  the  Unready,  87 

Ethiopia,  36 

Ettrick  Shepherd,  The,  131 

Europe,  35 

Euston  Road,  N.W.,  283 

Euston  Square,  W.C.,  283 

Evacuation  Day,  174 

Evelyn  Street,  S.E.,  301 

Exaltation  of  the  Cross,  Feast  of, 

171 

Exchange,  226 
Exeter  'Change,  225 
Exeter  Hall,  225 
Exeter  Street,  W.C.,  275 
Exodus,  Book  of,  125 

F. 

Factory  King,  The,  199 

Faith  Healers,  72 

Fair  Helen,  194 

Fair  Maiden  Lilliard,  195 

Fair  Maid  of  Kent,  194 

Fair  Rosamond,  194 

Falcon  Court,  E.G.,  259 

Falerian  Wine,  127 

Falgate,  The,  292 

Farm  Street,  W.,  279 

Farringdon  Road,  E.G.,  270 

Farringdon  Street,  E.G.,  269 

Farthing,  253 

Farthing  Poet,  The,  131 

Father  of  Believers,  The,  194 

February,  59 

Federalists,  114 

Federals,  114 

Fenchurch  Street,  E.G.,  149.  2^5 

Fenians,  1 12 

Ferdinand  Bomba,  91 

Ferriertype,  185 

Fetter  Lane,  E.G.,  270 


312 


Index. 


Fifth  Monarchy  Men,  71 

Fighting  Fitzgerald,  198 

Finality  John,  202 

Finch,  96 

Finch  Lane,  E.G.,  266 

Fingal's  Cave,  112 

Finland,  37 

Finsbury,  149 

Fire  Worshippers,  64 

Fitzroy  Square,  W.,  283 

Flamingo,  97 

Flask  Walk,  N.W.,  293 

Fleet  Lame,  E.G.,  216 

Fleet  Prison,  216 

Fleet  River,  259 

Fleet  Road,  N.W.,  293 

Fleet  Street,  E.G.,  259 

Fleetwood  Road,  N.,  292 

Flint,  137 

Florence,  253 

Florence  Wine,  127 

Florida,  46 

Florin,  253 

F.  M.  Allen,  182 

Foley  Street,  W.,283 

Folio,  105 

Foolscap,  104 

Fop,  233 

Forest  Hill,  161 

Forefathers'  Day,  174 

Forget-me-not,  118 

Formosa,  53 

Foster  Lane,  E.G.,  262 

Foul- Weather  Jack,  250 

Four  Hundred,  The,  234 

Foxglove,  117 

Fox  in  the  Hole,  The,  80 

Franc,  255 

France,  39 

Franciscans,  101 

Franconia,  39 

Frankfort  Black,  146 

Frankincense,  40 

Franks,  39 

Frederick  Barbarossa,  91 

Frederick  Street,  N.W.,  287 

Free  Church  of  Scotland,  74 

Freemasons'  Arms,  The,  82 

Friar,  101 


Friar  Street,  E.G.,  260 

Friar  Tuck,  197 

Friday,  60 

Friday  Street,  E.G.,  262 

Friendly  Islands,  52 

Friern  Place,  S.E.,  299 

Friern  Road,  S.E.,  299 

Frieze,  176 

Frognal,  155 

Fuchsia,  119 

Fulham,  159 

Fulham  Bridge,  The,  191 

Funeral,  140 

Furnival's  Inn,  208 

Furnival  Street,  E.G.,  271 

Fustian,  178 

Fye  Foot  Lane,  E.G.,  264 

G. 

Gabrielites,  70 

Gaels,  38 

Gallican  Church,  67 

Gamboge,  146 

Garnet,  245 

Garrotters,  233 

Garter,  The/82 

Gaul,  39 

Gavotte,  142 

Geneva  Bible,  124 

Genesis,  Book  of,  125 

Gentleman  Jack,  198 

Gentleman  Smith,  198 

George,  The,  81 

George  and  Dragon,  The,  8 1 

George-Noble,  254 

George  Ranger,  205 

George  Sand,  183 

George  Street,  W.,  281 

George  Street,  \V.C.,  275 

George  Yard,  E.G.,  265 

Georgia,  46 

Geranium,  118 

German  Ocean,  49 

Germany,  40 

Gerrard  Street,  W.,  282 

Ghibellines,  114 

Giants,  Battle  of  the,  164 

Gibraltar,  Straits  of,  51 

Gig,  139 


Index. 


313 


Gildas  the  Wise,  130 

Gillyflower,  120 

Giltspur  Street,  E.G.,  269 

Gin,  257 

Gingham,  177 

Gipsies,  233 

Girondists,  113 

Glamorgan,  137 

Glenlivet  Whisky,  258 

Gloucester  Road,  W..  295 

Gloucestershire,  134 

Globe,  The,  84 

Globe-flower,  117 

Gnostics,  65 

Goat  and  Compasses,  The,  83 

Gobelin  Tapestry,  179 

Gold  Coast,  42 

Golden  Cross,  The,  81 

Golden  Lane,  E.C.,  292 

Golden  Square,  W.,  282 

Goldfinch,  96 

Goldy  locks,  12 1 

Golgotha,  216 

Good  Friday,  169 

Goodge  Street,  W.,  283 

Good  Hope,  Cape  of,  43 

Goodman's  Fields,  151 

Good  Queen  Bess,  90 

Good  Templars,  234 

Goodwood  Races,  210 

Gordon  Square,  W.C.,  289 

Gospellers,  68 

Gospel  Oak,  155 

Gothland,  57 

Government  Stock,  256 

Gracechurch  Street,  E.G.,  264 

Grafton  Street,  W.,  283 

Granby  Street,  N.W.,  288 

Grand  Old  Man,  The,  202 

Grange  Road,  S.E.,  301 

Grange  Walk,  S.E.,  301 

Grape?,  The,  84 

Grass-cloth,  178 

Grass  Widow,  228 

Gray's  Inn,  208 

Gray's  Inn  Road,  W.C.,  271 

Great  Bear  Lake,  48 

Great  Bible,  123 

Great  College  Street,  N.W.,  288 


Great  Coram  Street,  W.C.,  289 

Great  Dover  Street,  S.E.,  300 

Great  George  Street,  S.W.,  298 

Great  Marlborough  Street,  W.,  282 

Great  Ormond  Street,  W.C.,  290 

Great  Peter  Street,  S.W.,  299 

Great  Portland  Street,  W.,  284 

Great  Queen  Street,  W.C.,  272 

Great  Russell  Street,  W.C.,  289 

Great  St.  Helen's,  E.G.,  267 

Great  Salt  Lake,  48 

Great  Stanhope  Street,  W.,  278 

Great  Suffolk  Street,  S.E.,  300 

Great  Titchfield  Street,  W.,  283 

Great  Turnstile,  W.C.,  272 

Great  Winchester  Street,  E.C.,  269 

Great  Windmill  Street,  W.,  276 

Greece,  41 

Greek  Church,  66 

Greek  Street,  W.,  282 

Green,  239 

Greenbacks,  255 

Green  Dragon,  The,  81 

Greenfinch,  96 

Greengrocer,  230 

Greenhorn,  239 

Greenland,  45 

Green  Lanes,  153 

Greenlet,  96 

Green  Man,  The,  77 

Green  Man  and  Still,  The,  77 

Green  Park,  277 

Green  Sea,  49 

Greenwich,  161 

Gresham  College,  262 

Gresham  House,  262 

Gresham  Street,  E.C.,  262 

Greville  Street,  E.C.,  270 

Grey  Friars,  101 

Greyhound,  The,  80 

Grisette,  229 

Grizzly  Bear,  The,  84 

Grocer,  230 

Grog,  257 

Grogram,  178 

Grosvenor  Gate,  W.,  278 

Grosvenor  Place,  S.W.,  296 

Grosvenor  Square,  W.,  278 

Grosvenor  Street,  W.,  278 


3^4 


Index. 


Grosvenor  Street,  S.W.,  296 
Grouse  Day,  174 
Guild,  218 
Guildhall,  218 
Guelphs,  114 
Guinea,  42 
Guinea-fowl,  99 
Guinea-piece,  252 
Gulf  of  Carpentaria,  51 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  51 
Gulf  Stream,  50 
Gunnersbury,  157 
Gutter  Lane,  E.G.,  262 
Guy  Fawkes  Day,  173 
Guy's  Hospital,  219 

H. 

Haberdasher,  230 

Hackney,  152 

Hackney-coach,  140 

Haggerstone,  152 

Hall-and-Half,  241 

Half-Moon,  The,  8 1 

Half-Moon  Street,  W.,  280 

Halfpenny,  253 

Hallelujah  Victory,  The,  163 

Hamburg  Lake,  146 

Hamilton  Place,  \V.,  279 

Hammer  and  Scourge  of  England, 

246 

Hammer-cloth,  141 
Hammersmith,  158 
Hampshire,  134 
Hampstead,  155 
Hand-paper,  104 
Handsel  Monday,  167 
Hangbird,  97 
Hanover,  The,  85 
Hanover  Island,  54 
Hanover  Square,  W.,  281 
Hanover  Street.  W.,  281 
Hanover  Street,  S.E.,  299 
Hansards,  106 
Hansom  Cab,  140 
Hans  Place,  S.W.,  296 
Hants,  134 

Hanway  Street,  W.,  283 
Hare  and  Hounds,  The,  So 
Hare-bell,  117 


Harefoot,  87 

Harewood  Square,  N.W.,  287 

Harewood  Street,  N.W.,  287 

Harley  Street,  W.,  284 

Harold  Harefoot,  87 

Harpur  Street,  W.C.,  289 

Harrington  Square,  N.W.,  288 

Hart  Street,  W.C.,  272,  290 

Hats,  The,  113 

Hatton  Garden,  W.C.,  270 

Hawker,  236 

Hawthorn,  120 

Hay  Hill,  W.,  279 

Haymarket,  S.W.,  277 

Hayti,  55 

Hearse,  140 

Heaven-sent  Minister,  The,  202 

"  He  "Bible,  124 

Hebrides,  57 

Heligoland,  57 

Heliotrope,  121 

Helmuth  the  Taciturn,  249 

Henrietta  Street,  W.,  284 

Henrietta  Street,  W.C.,  274 

Henry  Beauclerc,  88 

Henry  Bolingbroke,  89 

Henry  Street,  N.W.,  287 

Heralds'  College,  218 

Hereford,  135 

Herrings,  Battle  of  the,  163 

Hertfordshire,  135 

Hickory,  249 

Hicks'  Hall,  295 

Highbury,  154 

Highbury  Barn,  193 

High  Church,  76 

Highgate,  155 

Hill  Street,  W.,  279 

Hinde  Street,  W.,  285 

Hindustan,  36 

Hippocras,  128 

Hispania,  41 

Hock,  127 

Hockley,  291 

Hockley-in-the-Hole,  291 

Hog  Lane,  N.,  152 

Hog's-back,  N.,  153 

Holborn,  270 

Holborn  Bars,  270 


Index. 


315 


Holiday,  175 
Holland,  40 
Holland-cloth,  176 
Holland  House,  224 
Holland  Road,  W.,  295 
Holland  Street,  S.E.,  300 
Hollands,  257 
Holies  Street,  W.,  284 
Holies  Street,  W.C.,  272 
Hollovvay,  154 
Hollyhock,  120 
Holly  Village,  155 
Holy  Cross  Day,  171 
Holy  Land,  36 
Holy  Maid  of  Kent,  195 
Holy  Rood  Day,  171 
Holy  Saturday,  169 
Holy  Thursday,  169 
Holy  Week,  169 
Holywell  Lane,  E.G.,  292 
Holywell  Street,  S.W.,  298 
Holy  well  Street,  W.C.,  273 
Honduras,  44 
Honeysuckle,  117 
Honiton  Lace,  180 
Honor  Oak,  161 
Hopkinsians,  73 
Horn,  Cape,  43 
Horn-bill,  98 
Hornpipe,  144 
Hprseferry  Road,  S.W.,  299 
Hornsey,  153 
Horse  Guards,  220 
Horse  Latitudes,  50 
Horse  Shoe,  The,  188 
Horselydovvn,  160 
Hospice,  219 
Hospital,  218 
Hospitality,  219 
Hostelry,  77,  230 
Hotel,  77 
Hotspur,  247 
Houndsditch,  E.C.,  267 
Howard  Street,  W.C.,  274 
Hoxton,  152 
Hudson's  Bay,  50 
Hudson's  Strait,  50 
Huguenots,  68 
Humanitarians,  72 


Humbug,  239 
Humming-bird,  96 
Hummuns'  Hotel,  192 
Hungary,  40 
Huns,  40 

Huntingdonshire,  136 
Hurdle  Race,  210 
Huron,  Lake,  48 
Hurons,  48 
Hussites,  69 
Hyacinth,  119 
Hyde  Park,  277 
Hyde  Park  Corner,  278 

I. 

Iberia,  41 

Iceland,  57 

Idol,  63 

Idolater,  63 

II  Bassano,  206 

II  Furioso,  206 

Illinois,  47 

II  Perugino,  206 

Independence  Day,  174 

Independents,  75 

India,  36 

Indiana,  47 

Indian  Ocean,  49 

Indians,  American,  35 

India-paper,  104 

Indigo,  146 

Indus,  36 

Infant  Roscius,  The,  201 

Inn,  77,  208 

Innocents'  Day,  167 

Inns  of  Court,  208 

Iowa,  48 

Ireland,  38 

Ireton  House,  222 

Irish  Invincibles,  112 

Irish  Sea,  49 

Iron  Chancellor,  The,  249 

Iron  Devil,  The,  83 

Iron  Duke,  The,  248 

Ironmonger  Lane,  E.C.,  262 

Ironsides,  247 

Irvingites,  72 

Isabel,  148 

Isis,  149 


Index. 


Islam,  65 

Island  of  Desolation,  53 

Isle  of  Bourbon,  53 

Isle  of  Dogs,  161 

Isle  of  Man,  57 

Isle  of  St.  Helena,  56 

Isle  of  Trinidad,  55 

Isle  of  Wight,  57 

Isleworth,  157 

Islington,  154 

Italy,  41 

Ivan  the  Terrible,  91 

Ivory  Black,  148 

Ivy  Lane,  E.G.,  261 

Jacket,  85 
Jack  Ketch,  238 
Jack  Straw's  Castle,  190 
Jack  Tar,  234 
Jacobins,  101 
Jacobite,  The,  85 
Jacobites,  in 
Jacobus,  254 
Jamaica,  55 

Jamaica  Road,  S.E.,  301 
ames'  Bay,  50 

James'  Street,  W.C.,  274,  275 
Jansenists,  70 
January,  59 
Japan,  53 
Jasmine,  117 
Jaunting  Car,  138 
Java,  53 
Jay,  96 

Jeffreys  Street,  N.W.,  287 
Jehu, 235 

Jermyn  Street,  W.,  277 
Jerry  Builder,  235 
Jersey,  257 
Jersey  Lily,  The,  196 
Jesuits,  70,  103 
Jewin  Street,  E.G.,  286 

Jig,  145 
Jingo,  116 
Jingoes,  116 
Jingo  Party,  116 
Joachim's  Thaler,  255 
Johannisberg,  127 


John  Bull,  94 

John  Chinaman,  94 

John  Lackland,  88 

John  of  Gaunt,  89 

Johnson's  Court,  E.G.,  259 

John  Street,  W.,  279 

John  Street,  W.C.,  275 

Joiner,  230 

Journeyman,  235 

Juan  Fernandez,  54 

Jubilee  Plunger,  The,  205 

Judaism,  63 

Judd  Street,  W.C.,  289 

Judges'  Walk,  N.W.,  293 

Juggler,  237 

June,  59 

July,  59 

Justice  Walk,  S.W.,  296 

Jutland,  40 


KafTraria,  36 

Kansas,  47 

Kennington,  162 

Kensington,  158 

Kensington  Gore,  S.W.,  294 

Kent,  134 

Kentish  Town,  155 

Kent  Street,  S.E.,  300 

Kentucky,  47 

Keppell  Street,  S.W.,  296 

Kersey,  177 

Kew,  157 

Keystone  State,  The,  46 

Kilburn,  156 

King  Edward  Street,  E.G.,  269 

Kingfisher,  97 

King  James's  Bible,  123 

King  Maker,  The,  247 

King  of  Bath,  The,  199 

King's  Arms,  The,  82 

King's  Bench  Avenue,  N.W.,  293 

King's  Cross,  154 

Kingsgate  Street,  W.C.,  290 

King's  Head,  The,  86 

Kingsland,  153 

King's  Road,  S.W.,  295 

Kingston,  158 

King  Street,  S.W.,  277,  298 


Index. 


317 


King  Street,  W.C.,  274 

King  Street,  E.G.,  262 

King  William  Street,  W.C.,  276 

King  William  Street,  E.G.,  263 

Kit-Kat  Canvas,  185 

Kit-Kat  Club,  185 

Kit-Kat  Portrait,  185 

Knickerbocker,  182 

Knife-board,  140 

Knight  of  the  Swan,  The,  81 

Knightrider  Street,  E.G.,  269 

Knightsbridge,  150 

Know-Nothings,  115 

Kohinoor  Diamond,  244 

Koordistan,  36 

Koran,  65 

Krems  White,  146 

Kreutzer,  255 

Kurdestan,  36 

L. 

Labadists,  70 

La  Belle  Sauvage  Inn,  187 

La  Belle  Sauvage  Yard,  E.G.,  260 

Labrador,  45 

Lace,  1 80 

Lackland,  88 

Ladbroke  Grove,  W.,  294 

Ladbroke  Square,  W.,  294 

Lad  Lane,  E.G.,  262 

Ladrone  Islands,  54 

Lady  Day,  1 66 

Lady  Freemason,  The,  196 

Lager-bier,  243 

Lake  Erie,  48 

Lake  Huron,  48 

Lake  Michigan,  48 

Lake  Ontario,  48 

Lake  Superior,  48 

Lake  Winnipeg,  48 

Lambeth,  160 

Lamb's  Conduit  Street,  W.C.,  289 

Lammas  Day,  166 

Lammastide,  165 

Lamp  Black,  148 

Lancashire,  133 

Lancaster,  133 

Lancers,  142 

Landau,  138 


Langham  Place,  W.,  285 

Langham  Street,  W.,  285 

Lapwing,  97 

Latin  Vulgate,  123 

Latitudinarianism,  76 

Lauderdale  House,  222 

Laughing  Philosopher,  The,  196 

Lavender,  119 

Lawn,  177 

Lawrence  Lane,  E.G.,  262 

Lazar-house,  219 

Lazzari,  114 

Lazzaroni,  114 

Leadenhall  Market,  266 

Leadenhall  Street,  E.G.,  266 

Leaf,  1 06 

League  of  the  Cross,  234 

Leather  Lane,  E.G.,  270 

Leek,  The,  80 

Leg  and  Star,  The,  82 

Leicester  Fields,  276 

Leicestershire,  133 

Leicester  Square,  W.,  276 

Lent,  168 

Levellers,  no 

Leviticus,  Book  of,  125 

Lewisham,  161 

Liberal,  no 

Liberator,  The,  207 

Libertines,  69 

Library,  106 

Liguorians,  103 

Lilac,  119 

Lilliard's  Edge,  195 

Lincoln,  134 

Lincoln  House,  222 

Lincoln's  Inn,  208 

Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  271 

Linen,  177 

Lion,  The,  78 

Lion  and  Key,  The,  83 

Lisle  Lace,  180 

Lisson  Grove,  N.W.,  287 

Little  Britain,  E.G.,  269 

Little  Corporal,  The,  248 

Little  John,  197 

Little  Turnstile,  W.C.,  272 

Liverpool  Landseer,  The,  207 

Liverpool  Street,  W.C.,  288 


Index. 


Lloyd's  Rooms,  226 

LL.  Whisky,  258 

Lollards,  68 

Lombard  Street,  E.G.,  267 

London, 149 

London  Bridge,  216 

London  Stone,  263 

London  Wall,  E.G.,  268 

Long  Acre,  W.C.,  272 

Long  Friday,  169 

Long  Island,  55 

Long  Peter,  205 

Longshanks,  88 

Longshoreman,  235 

Lord  Protector,  The,  90 

Lord's  Cricket  Ground,  225 

Lordship  Lane,  S.E.,  299 

Lo  Spagnoletto,  206 

Lothbury,  E.G.,  267 

Louis  d'or,  254 

Louisiana,  46 

Love  Birds,  97 

Low  Church,  76 

Lower  Berkeley  Street,  W.,  286 

Lowndes  Square,  S.W.,  297 

Lowndes  Street,  S.\V.,  297 

Low  Sunday,  170 

Luciferians,  66 

Ludgate  Hill,  E.G.,  260 

Lunatic,  239 

Lupus  Street,  S.W.,  297 

Lutheran  Church,  67 

Lutherans,  68 

Lyre-bird,  97 

M. 

Macaronies,  233 
Macedonians,  66 
Macclesfield  Street,  W.,  282 
Macmillanites,  74 
Madagascar,  53 
Madame  Tussaud's,  225 
Mad  Cavalier,  The,  247 
Madeira,  56 
Madeira  Wine,  128 
Maddox  Street,  W.,  281 
Mad  Poet,  The,  131 
Magdalen  Hospital,  219 
Magdalen  Smith,  206 


Magenta,  148 

Mahommedans,  64 

Maida  Vale,  156 

Maiden  Lane,  \V.C.,  275 

Maid  Marian,  142 

Maicl  of  Orleans,  195 

Maid  of  Saragossa,  196 

Maine,  46 

Majorca,  56 

Malaga,  127 

Malmsey,  128 

Malta,  57 

Malvoise,  128 

Manchester  Square,  \V.,  285 

Manchester  Street,  W.,  285 

Manitoba,  45 

Manlius  Torquatus,  246 

Man  of  Ross,  The,  200 

Man  of  Straw,  235 

Mansfield  Street,  W.,  285 

Mansion  House,  The,  227 

Map,  1 06 

Marble  Arch,  278 

March,  59 

Margaret  Street,  W.,  284 

Marigold,  121 

Market  Street,  W.,  279 

Mark  Lane,  E.G.,  265 

Mark  Twain,  183 

Marlborough  House,  220 

Marlborough  Road,  S.W.,  296 

Marlborough  Road,  S.E.,  299 

Marlborough  Square,  S.W.,  296 

Marlborough  Street,  W.,  282 

Marmora,  Sea  of,  50 

Marquis  of  Granby,  The,  85 

Marshal  Forward,  248 

Marshalsea  Prison,  216 

Marsham  Street,  S.W.,  299 

Martel,  246 

Martin,  98 

Martinmas  Day,  1 66 

Martlemas  Day,  1 66 

Martyr,  87 

Maryland,  47 

Marylebone,  156 

Masaccio,  206 

Masher,  233 

Massachusetts,  47 


Index. 


319 


Master  of  Arts,  232 

Materialism,  62 

Mattan  Diamond,  244 

Maunday  Thursday,  169 

Mauritius,  53 

May   59 

Mayfair,  150 

Mayflower,  1 20 

Mazarin  Bible,  124 

Mazarine,  147 

Mazourka,  143 

Mecklenburg  Square,  W.C.,  290 

Mediterranean  Sea,  49 

Memorial  Hall,  Congregational,  217 

Memory-Corner  Thompson,  204 

Memory  Woodfall,  204 

Mentor,  231 

Merino,  177 

Merioneth,  137 

Merry  Andrew,  236 

Merry  Monarch,  The,  90 

Methodists,  75 

Mexico,  45 

Michaelmas  Day,  1 66 

Michigan,  47 

Michigan,  Lake,  48 

Middlesex,  134 

Midsummer  Day,  166 

Mignonette,  118 

Mildmay  House,  153 

Mildmay  Park,  153 

Milford  Lane,  W.C.,  273 

Milk  Street,  E.C.,  262J 

Millbank,  299 

Milliner,  229 

Mill  Lane,  S.E.,  300 

Mill  Street,  W.,  281 

Mincing  Lane,  E.C.,  265 

Minims,  265 

Miniatori,  184 

Miniature,  184 

Minnesota,  47 

Minorca,  56 

Minoresses,  265 

Minories,  265 

Minstrel  of  the  Border,  The,  132 

Mint,  The,  217,  252 

Mint  Street,  S.E.,  300 

Minuet,  143 


Missionary  Friars,  103 

Mississippi,  47 

Missouri,  47 

Mitre,  The,  81 

Mitre  Court,  E.G.,  259 

Mocking-bird,  96 

Moet  and  Chandon,  128 

Mohair,  177 

Mohocks,  232 

Moire  Antique,  177 

Moldavia,  41 

Moleskin,  177 

Mona  Island,  57 

Monastery,  100 

Monday,  60 

Money,  252 

Monger,  236 

Monk,  100 

Monkey-board,  139 

Monk  Lewis,  130 

Monmouthshire,  136 

Monotheism,  63 

Montague  Place,  W.C.,  289 

Montague  Square,  W.,  286 

Montague  Street,  W. ,  286 

Montague  Street,  W.C.,  289 

Montelpulcino,  127 

Montenegro,  41 

Montgomery,  137 

Moorfields,  151 

Moorgate  Street,  E.G.,  268 

Moravia,  41 

Moravians,  69 

Morisonians,  74 

Mormons,  72 

Mornington  Crescent,  N.W.,  288 

Mornington  Place,  N.W.,  288 

Morocco,  42 

Morris  Dance,  142 

Mortimer  Street,  W.,  284 

Mosaism,  62 

Moselle,  127 

Moslem,  65 

Mosquito,  44 

Mosquito  Coast,  44 

Mothering  Cakes,  174 

Mothering  Sunday,  174 

Mother  of  Believers,  The,  194 

Mother  Red  Cap,  The,  189 


320 


Index. 


Mother  Shipton,  The,  189 

Mountain,  The,  113 

Mountain  Dew,  258 

Mount  Street,  W.,  279 

Mrs.  Grundy,  94 

Muggletonians,  71 

Mulatto,  95 

Mumm,  242 

Munster  House,  223 

Munster  Square,  N.W.,  287 

Muscovy  Duck,  98 

Musical  Small-coal  Man,  The,  201 

Muslin,  176 

Mussulmans,  65 

Muswell  Hill,  153 

Myddleton  Square,  E.G.,  291 

Myddleton  Street,  E.G. ,291 

Mythologists,  64 

Mythology,  64 

N. 

Nankeen,  176 
Nantes,  257 
Napoleon,  254 
Naso,  248 

Nassau  Street,  W.,  282 
Natal,  42 
Navvy,  235 
Nazarenes,  65 
Nebraska,  47 
Negro,  95 
Negus,  128 
Nelson,  The,  85 
Nepaul-paper,  104 
Netherlands,  40 
Nevada,  47 

New  Bond  Street,  W.,  280 
New  Bridge  Street,  E.G.,  260 
New  Bridge  Street,  S.W.,  298 
New  Brunswick,  45 
New  Burlington  Street,  W.,  280 
New  Cavendish  Street,  W.,  284 
New  Christians,  70 
New  Compton  Street,  W.,  282 
New  Cross,  161 
Newfoundland,  55 
Newgate  Prison,  215 
Newgate  Street,  E.G.,  269 
New  Hampshire,  46 


New  Holland,  52 

Newington,  162 

Newington  Butts,  S.E.,  300 

New  Inn,  208 

New  Jersey,  46 

Newman  Street,  W.,  283 

New  Orleans,  46 

New  Pye  Street,  S.W.,  299 

New  Way,  S.W.,  299 

New  Year's  Day,  165 

New  York,  47 

New  Zealand,  52 

Niagara,  48 

Nicaragua,  44 

Nicholas  Lane,  E.G.,  266 

Nichols  Square,  N.,  292 

Njgger,  95 

Nightingale,  96 

Night-jar,  96 

Nihilists,  113 

Nimrod,  181 

Nincompoop,  239 

Niphon,  53 

Nitrate  King,  The,  200 

Noble,  254 

Noddy,  139 

Nonconformists,  74 

Noon-flower,  120 

Noon-tide,  120 

Norfolk,  134 

Norfolk  Street,  W.C.,  273 

Norland  Square,  W.,  294 

Normandy,  40 

Northamptonshire,  136 

North  Audley  Street,  W.,  285 

North  Pole,  The,  191 

Northumberland,  133 

Northumberland  Avenue,  W.C.,  276 

Northumberland  Street,  W.C.,  276 

North  Sea,  49 

Norton  Folgate,  292 

Norway,  37 

Norwood,  161 

Nosey,  248 

Nottinghamshire,  136 

Nottingham  Place,  W.,  294 

Netting  Hill,  157 

Nova  Scotia,  45 

Nova  Zembla,  58 


Index. 


321 


November,  59 
Numbers,  Book  of,  125 
Nun,  100 
Nunhead,  161 
Nuns  of  St.  Clare,  265 

O. 

Oakley  Square,  N.W.,  288 
Oaks  Races,  210 
Observant  Friars,  IOI 
Octavo,  105 
October,  59 
Ohio,  47 
Old  Ale,  241 
Old  Bailey,  The,  215 
Old  Bailey,  E.G.,  260 
Old  Bond  Street,  W.,  280 
Old  Broad  Street,  E.G.,  268 
Old  Burlington  Street,  W.,  280 
Old  Catholics,  70 
Old  Cavendish  Street,  W.,  284 
Old  Change,  E.G.,  261 
Old  Charlies,  232 
Old  Compton  Street,  W.,  282 
Old  Grog,  250 
Old  Hat,  The,  84 
Old  Hickory,  249 
Old  Jewry,  E.G.,  263 
Old  Kent  Road,  S.E.,  300 
Old  Marshalsea  Prison,  216 
Old  Pye  Street,  S.W.,  299 
Old  Quebec  Street,  W.,  286 
Old  Tom,  257 
Olympia,  224 
Omnibus,  139 
Ontario,  45 
Ontario,  Lake,  48 
Opal,  245 

Orange  Free  States,  42 
Orangemen,  in 
Orange  Peel,  202 
Orange  Street,  W.,  277 
Orator  Henley,  203 
Orchard  Street,  W.,  286 
Orchard  Street,  S.W.,  299 
Orchid,  119 
Oregon,  47 
Oriole,  97 
Orion  House,  131 


Orleans  House,  223 
Orkney  Islands,  57 
Orloff  Diamond,  244 
Orme  Square,  W.,  294 
Osnaburg  Street,  N. W. ,  287 
Ossulton  Square,  N.W.,  287 
Ossulton  Street,  N.W.,  287 
Ostler,  230 
Ottoman  Empire,  41 
Ouida,  182 
Ovidius  Naso,  248 
Oxford,  161 

Oxford  Market,  W.,  284 
Oxford  Movement,  76 
Oxfordshire,  135 
Oxford  Street,  W.,  284 
Oxford  Tracts,  76 

P. 

Pacific  Ocean,  49 

Pack  Horse,  The,  84 

Paddy,  94 

Paddington,  156 

Paddington  Green,  W. ,  294 

Paddington  Street,  W.,  294 

Pagan,  63 

Painted  Hall,  Greenwich,  221 

Pale  Faces,  95 

Palestine,  35 

Pall  Mall,  S.W.,  277 

Palmerston,  The,  85 

Palm  Sunday,  169 

Palsgrave  Place,  W.C.,  273, 

Pamphlet,  106 

Panama,  44 

Pancake  Tuesday,  1 68 

Pancras  Road,  N.W.,  288 

Pansy,  118 

Pantechnicon,  140 

Pantheist,  6 1 

Panton  Street,  W.,  277 

Panyer  Alley,  E.G.,  261 

Paper,  104 

Paper  King,  The,  199 

Papua,  53 

Para,  44 

Paraguay,  43 

Parchment,  104 

Paris  Garden,  S.E.,  300 


322 


Index. 


Parker  Street,  S.W.,  298 

Parnellites,  112 

Park  Lane,  W.,  278 

Park  Street,  N.W.,  287 

Parry  Islands,  54 

Parliamentarians,  III 

Parsees,  64 

Parson's  Green,  159 

Partridge  Day,  175 

Passenger-pigeon,  98 

Passion-flower,  121 

Passionists,  103 

Passion  Sunday,  169 

Passion  Week,  169 

Passover,  170 

Pat,  94  ^ 

Patagonia,  43 

Paternoster  Row,  E.G.,  261 

Pathfinder,  The,  207 

Paul's  Chain,  E.G.,  261 

Paul  Veronese,  206 

Peacock,  The,  81 

Pearl,  245 

Pearl  Bible,  124 

Peckham,  162 

Peckham  Rye,  221 

Peculiar  People,  72 

Pedlar,  236 

Pedro  the  Cruel,  91 

Peelers,  232 

Peep  o'  Day  Boys,  1 1 1 

Peewit,  96 

Pembroke,  137 

Pennsylvania,  46 

Penny,  253 

Pentateuch,  125 

Pentecost,  170 

Penton  Street,  W.C.,  291 

Pentonville  Road,  N.,  291 

People's  Friend,  The,  200 

Percy  Cross,  159 

Perfectionists,.  73 

Pernambuco,  44 

Persia,  36 

Peru,  43 

Perugino,  II,  206 

Peterborough  House,  223 

Peter  Street,  Great,  S.W.,  299 

Petrel,  99 


Petticoat  Lane,  E.G.,  267 

Phaeton,  138 

Pharisees,  65 

Pheasant,  The,  81 

Phennig,  253 

Philippic,  132 

Philippe  Egalite,  91 

Philippine  Islands,  53 

Photograph,  184 

Phyrric  Dance,  144 

Piccadilly,  W.,  279 

Piccadilly  Lace,  279 

Picts,  38 

Pie  Corner,  E.G.,  269 

Pig  and  Whistle,  The,  83 

Pigment,  146 

Pigott  Diamond,  245 

Pigtails,  95 

Pillow  Lace,  180 

Pimlico,  149 

Pimlico  Walk,  N.,  149 

Pina-cloth,  178 

Pink,  147 

Pitcairn's  Island,  54 

Pitt  Diamond,  244 

Plaid,  179 

Plain,  The,  113 

Plantagenet,  90 

Playhouse  Yard,  E.G.,  268 

Plough  Monday,  167 

Plume  and  Feathers,  The,  83 

Plunger,  237 

Plush,  178 

Plymouth  Brethren,  72 

Point  Lace,  180 

Poland,  40 

Police,  232 

Polka,  142 

Polytechnic  Institution,  224 

Polytheists,  64 

Pommery,  128 

Pompadour,  147,  177 

Pontac,  127 

Port,  127 

Porter,  242 

Portland  Place,  W.,  284 

Portland  Street,  Great,  W.,  284 

Portman  Square,  W.,  286 

Portman  Street,  W.,  286 


Index. 


323 


Portobello  Arms,  The,  85 

Porto  Rico,  55 

Portrait,  184 

Portugal,  42 

Portugal  Street,  W.,  278 

Portugal  Street,  W.C.,  273 

Poster,  1 06 

Post-paper,  104 

Pot-paper,  104 

Poultry,  E.G.,  263 

Pouter-pigeon,  98 

Powis  Place,  W.C.,  290 

Praise-God  Barbones,  203 

Pratt  Street,  N.W.,  287 

Presbyterians,  73 

Press  Yard,  Newgate,  215 

Primitive  Methodists,  75 

Primrose,  120 

Primrose  Day,  173 

Primrose  Hill,  155 

Prince  Albert,  The,  86 

Prince  of  Wales,  The,  86 

Prince  of  Wales'  Feathers,  The,  86 

Prince  of  Wales'  Island,  54 

Prince's  Gate,  S.W.,  278 

Princes  Street,  S.W.,  298 

Printer's  Devil,  105 

Printing  House  Square,  E.G.,  260 

Prior,  101 

Prioress,  101 

Priory,  101 

Profile,  184 

Protectionist,  116 

Protestantism,  67 

Protestants,  68 

Prussian  Blue,  146 

Prussian  Red,  146 

Public-house,  76 

Punch,  257 

Purification,  Feast  of  the,  166 

Puritans,  74 

Puseyites,  76 

Putney,  159 

Pye  Street,  S.W.,  299 

Q. 

Quack,  236 
Quack  Doctor,  236 
Quadragesima  Sunday,  170 


Quadrille  142 
Quaker  Poet,  The,  131 
Quakers,  71 
Quarto,  105 
Quatemala,  45 
Quebec,  45 

Quebec  Street,  Old,  W.,  286 
Queen  Anne's  Gate,  S.W.,  297 
Queen  Anne's  Square,  S.W.,  297 
Queen  Anne  Street,  WT.,  285 
Queen  Charlotte  Island,  54 
Queen  Elizabeth's  Walk,  N.,  292 
Queenhithe,  E.G.,  264 
Queen's  Arms,  The,  82 
Queen's  Head,  The,  86 
Queen's  Gate,  S.W.,  278 
Queen's  Square,  W.C.,  290 
Queen  Street,  W.,  279 
Queen  Victoria  Street,  E.G.,  263 
Quinquagesima  Sunday,  170 

R. 

Radical  Reformers,  no 
Radicals,  no 
Radnor,  137 
Rag  Fair,  267 

Railway  Clearing  House,  227 
Railway  King,  The,  199 
Rainy-Day  Smith,  130 
Ram  and  Teazle,  The,  85 
Ranelagh  Gardens,  193 
Ranters,  75 

Ratclifte  Highway,  151 
Rathbone  Place,  W.,  283 
Rationalism,  62 
Ray  Street,  E.G.,  291 
Rechabites,  234 
Red  Cross  Street,  E.G.,  268 
Red  Dragon,  The,  80 
Redemptorists,  103 
Red  Letter  Day,  175 
Red  Lion,  The,  78 
Red  Lion  Court,  E.G.,  259 
Red  Lion  Square,  W.C.,  290 
Red  Lion  Street,  W.C.,  290 
Redowa,  143 
Red-poll,  97 
Red  Republicans,  112 
Red  Rose,  The,  79 


324 


Index. 


Red  Sea,  49 
Red  Skins,  95 
Reel,  145 

Reformed  Presbytery,  74 
Regent  Diamond,  244 
Regent's  Park,  287 
Regent  Street,  W.,  281 
Religion,  63 
Rheims  Bible,  123 
Rhode  Island,  55 
Rhodes,  57 
Rhododendron,  121 
Ribbonmen,  112 
Richard  Coeur  de  Leon,  88 
Richmond,  158 
Ring-dove,  98 
Ritualists,  76 
Robert  le  Diable,  246 
Robert  Street,  N.W.,  287 
Robert  Street,  W.C.,  275 
Robert  the  Devil,  246 
Robin  Hood,  197 
Rock  Day,  167 
Rochester  Row,  S.W.,  298 
Rogation  Days,  171 
Rogation  Sunday,  171 

Roger  de  Coverley,  143 

Rolls  Chapel,  221 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  67 

Romeo  Coates,  199 

Romney  Street,  S.W.,  299 

Rood  Lane,  E.G.,  265 

Rose,  The,  80 

Rose  and  Crown,  The,  80 

Rose-Noble,  254 

Rosoman  Street,  E.C.,  291 

Rosslyn  Hill  Park,  223 

Rosslyn  House,  223 

Rotherhithe,  160 

Rotten  Row,  278 

Roumania,  41 

Roundheads,  in 

Royal  Exchange,  226 

Royalists,  III 

Royal  Oak,  The,  85 

Royal  Oak  Day,  173 

Ruby,  245 

Rufus,  88 

Rum,  257 


Running  Footman,  The,  189 

Russell  Square,  W.C.,  289 

Russell  Street,  W.C.,  274 

Russell  Street,  S.E.,  301 

Russia,  37 

Rutland,  136 

Rutland  Gate,  W.,  278 

Rye,  221 

Rye  House,  221 

Rye  Lane,  S.E.,  299 


Sabbatarians,  71 

Sack,  129 

Sackville  Street,  W.,  281 

Sacramentarians,  72 

Saddlers'  Arms,  The,  82 

Sadler's  Wells,  192 

Saffron  Hill,  E.G.,  270 

Sahara,  42 

Sailor  King,  The,  90 

St.  Andrew  Undershaft,  Church 

214 

St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital,  219 
St.  Bride's  Church,  214 
St.  Bride  Street,  E.G.,  259 
St.  Catherine  Coleman,  Church  of, 

213 

St.  Catherine  Cree,  Church  of,  213 
St.  Clement-Danes,  Church  of,  212 
St.  David's  Day,  173 
St.  Ethelburga's  Church,  214 
St.  George,  The,  81 
St.  George  and  Dragon,  The,  8 1 
St.  George's  Channel,  51 
St.  George's  Church,  W.,  281 
St.  George's  Fields,  S.E.,  162 
St.  George's  Hall,  224 
St.  George's  Square,  S.W.,  297 
St.  Grouse's  Day,  174 
St.  Helena,  Isle  of,  56 
St.  Helen's,  Great,  E.G.,  267 
St.  Helen's  Church,  214 
St.  James's  Hall,  224 
St.  James's  Palace,  219 
St.  James's  Square,  S.W.,  277 
St.  James's  Street,  S.W.,  277 
St.  John's  Gate,  216,  291 
St.  John  Street  Road,  E.G.,  291 


Index. 


325 


St.  John's  Wood,  156 

St.  Katharine's  Docks,  217 

St.  Kitt's  Island,  56 

St.  Lawrence,  Gulf  of,  51 

St.  Lawrence,  River,  51 

St.  Leger  Stakes,  210 

St.  Margaret  Pattens,  Church  of,  213 

St.  Martin's  Lane,  W.C.,  276 

St.  Martin's-le-Grand,  218 

St.  Mary-Axe,  E.G.,  266 

St.  Mary- Axe,  Church  of,  213 

St.  Mary-le-Bow,  Church  of,  213 

St.  Mary  Woolnoth,  Church  of,  213 

St.  Michael's  Alley,  E.G.,  266 

St.  Olave's  Church,  215 

St.  Pancras,  154 

St.  Partridge's  Day,  174 

St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  197 

St.  Sepulchre's  Church,  214 

St.  Swithin's  Day,  172 

St.  Valentine's  Day,  172 

Salisbury  Court,  E.G.,  259 

Salisbury  Street,  W.C.,  275 

Salop,  136 

Salt  Lake,  Great,  48 

Salutation,  The,  81 

Salviati,  Del,  206 

Sambo,  95 

Sandbaggers,  233 

Sandford  House,  222 

Sandpiper,  98 

Sandwich,  13 

Sandwiches,  14 

Sandwich  Islands,  53 

San  Salvador,  55 

Sandy,  94 

Sansculottes,  113 

Sap  Green,  148 

Saraband,  142 

Saracen's  Head,  The,  81 

Sardinia,  56 

Sardinia  Street,  W.C.,  272 

Sardinian  Chapel,  272 

Sarsanet,  177 

Satin,  176 

Saturday,  60 

Sauci  Diamond,  244 

Saunders  Blue,  146 

Savile  Row,  W.,  280 


Savoy  Chapel,  212 

Savoy  Palace,  212 

Savoy  Street,  W.C.,  274 

Sawney,  94 

Saxons,  39 

Saxony,  39 

Scarlet,  147 

Scarlet-runner,  117 

Schottische,  143 

Scissors-tail,  97 

Scotia,  38 

Scotists,  70 

Scotland,  38 

Scotland  Yard,  225 

Scots,  38 

Scottish  Covenanters,  73 

Scottish  Hogarth,  The,  207 

Scottish  Presbyterians,  73 

Scratched  Horse,  21 1 

Scourers,  232 

Scriptures,  122 

Scullery,  237 

Scullery  Maid,  237 

Scullion,  237 

Sea  of  Marmora,  50 

Secretary-bird,  97 

Sectarians,  74 

Secularist,  62 

Sedan  chair,  189 

Seekers,  71 

Seething  Lane,  E.G.,  265 

Selkirk's  Island,  54 

Senegambia,  42 

Separists,  112 

Sepia,  148 

September,  59 

Septuagint,  122 

Serjeant's  Inn,  208 

Serle  Street,  W.C.,  273 

Sermon  Lane,  E.G.,  261 

Serpentine,  156 

Servia,  40 

Servites,  103 

Seven  Dials,  276 

Seven  Sisters'  Road,  N.,  293 

Seventh-Day  Baptists,  71 

Sexagesima  Sunday,  170 

Seymour  Place,  W.,  286 

Shadwell,  151 


326 


Index. 


Shaftesbury  Avenue,  W.C.,  282 

Shah  Diamond,  244 

Shakers,  71 

Shalloon,  176 

Shamrock,  The,  80 

"She"  Bible,  125 

Sheen,  158 

Shepherdess  Walk,  N.,  292 

Shepherd's  Bush,  157 

Shepherd's  Market,  W.,  279 

Shepherd  Street,  W.,  279 

Shepperton,  158 

Sherry,  127 

Shetland  Isles,  57 

She-Wolf  of  France,  The,  91 

Shilling,  253 

Ship,  The,  85 

Shire,  10 

Shoe  Lane,  E.G.,  259 

Shoreditch,  15  ( 

Shrove  Tuesday,  1 68 

Shropshire,  136 

Shrewsbury,  136 

Siberia,  37 

Sicily,  56 

Sidmouth  Street,  W.C.,  288 

Sienna,  146 

Silhouette,  185 

Silk,  176 

Sillery,  128 

Silver  Captain,  The,  250 

Silver-tongued  Sylvester,  131 

Sinking  Fund,  256 

Sinner-saved  Huntingdon,  203 

Sinner's  Friend,  The,  200 

Single-Speech  Hamilton,  2OI 

Sixteen-string  Jack,  197 

Skagerrack,  51 

Skinner  Street,  N.W.,  288 

Skittles,  The,  84 

Skylark,  98 

Sloane  Square,  S.W.,  296 

Sloane  Street,  S.W.,  296 

Small  Beer,  241 

Smithfield,  150 

Smith  of  Antwerp,  The,  207 

Snow  Hill,  E.G.,  270 

Soane  Museum,  221 

Sociable,  138 


Socialists,  no 
Society  Islands,  52 
Society  of  Friends,  71 
!   Society  of  Jesus,  70 
Socinians,  70,  75 
Soho,  150 
Somersetshire,  135 
Somerset  House,  220 
Somers  Town,  1 54 
Soudan,  42 
Southampton,  134 
Southampton  Buildings,  W.C.,  271 
Southampton  Row,  W.C.,  289 
Southampton    Street,    W.C.,    274, 

289 

Southampton  Street,  W.,  283 
South  Audley  Street,  W.,  285 
South  Australian,  The,  191 
Southgate,  152 
South  wark,  160 
Southwick  Crescent,  W.,  294 
Southwick  Place,  W.,  294 
Sovereign,  253 
Spain,  41 
Spa  Fields,  151 
Spagnoletto,  Lo,  206 
Spaniards,  The,  190 
Spanish  Main,  50 
Spanish  Place,  W.,  285 
Spa  Road,  S.E.,  301 
Speedwell,  118 
Spinster,  228 
Spiritualism,  62 
Spitalfields,  151 
Spitzbergen,  58 
Spoon-bill,  98 
Sprat  Day,  175 
Spread  Eagle,  1  he,  84 
Spring  Gardens,  S.W.,  277 
Spring-Heel  Jack,  197 
Spurs,  Battle  of,  164 
Spurs  of  Gold,  Battle  of,  164 
Staffordshire,  135 
Stage-coach,  139 
Staines,  157 

Standard,  Battle  of  the,  163 
Stanhope,  138 
Stanhope  Gate,  W.,  278 
Staple  Inn,  208 


Index. 


327 


Star,  The,  79 

Star  and  Garter,  The,  82 

Starling,  97 

Star  of  the  South  Diamond,  244 

Starvation  Dundas,  202 

Stationer,  107 

Stationery,  108 

Steeplechase,  210 

Steelyard,  264 

Steelyard  Merchants,  264 

Stepney,  151 

Sterling  Money,  252 

Stingo,  242 

Stock,  121 

Stock,  Government,  256 

Stock  Exchange,  227 

Stocks  Market,  121,  263 

Stockwell,  162 

Stoke  Newington,  152 

Stones  End,  S.E.,  300 

Stonewall  Jackson,  249 

Stony  Street,  S.E.,  300 

Storey's  Gate,  S.W.,  297 

Stout,  242 

Strait  of  Gibraltar,  51 

Strand,  W.C.,  273 

Stratford  Place,  W.,  285 

Stratton  Street,  W.,  279 

Strawberry  Hill,  223 

Stuart,  90 

Stump  Orator,  237 

Stump  Speech,  237 

Subtle  Doctor,  The,  196 

Suffolk,  134 

Suffolk  Lane,  E.G.,  264 

Suffolk  Street,  S.W.,  277 

Sulky,  139 

Sumatra,  53 

Sumner  Street,  S.E.,  300 

Sun,  The,  79 

Sunday,  60 

Sunflower,  120 

Superior,  Lake,  48 

Sussex,  134 

Sussex  House,  223 

Surrey,  10,  134 

Surrey  Street,  W.C.,  273 

Sutton  Place,  N.,  292 

Swallow  Street,  W.,  281 


Swan  Alley,  E.G.,  264 

Swan,  The,  81 

Swan  with  Two  Necks,  The,  187 

Swedish  Nightingale,  196 

Sweepstake,  21  ij 

Sweetbriar,  118 

Switzerland,  41 

Sydenham,  161 

T. 

Tabard,  The,  187 

Taffeta,  177 

Taffety,  177 

Taffy,  94 

Tailor,  231 

Tailor-bird,  98 

Talbot,  The,  79 

Talbotype,  185 

Tally,  256 

Tally  Ho  !  The,  80 

Tallyman,  256 

Tammany  Ring,  115 

Tankard,  The,  85 

Tapestry,  179 

Tarantella,  143 

Tarantula  Spider,  143 

Tarlatan,  176 

Tasmania,  52 

Tattersall's,  226 

Tavern,  76 

Tavistock  Place,  W.C.,  289 

Tavistock  Square,  W.C.,  289 

Tavistock  Street,  W.C.,  274 

Taylor,  the  Water  Poet,  131 

T-cloth,  178 

Tearless  Victory,  The,  163 

Teetotaler,  234 

Temple,  The,  208,  212 

Temple  Bar,  216 

Tennessee,  47 

Tent  Wine,  128 

Terpsichorean  Art,  142 

Texas,  47 

Thaler,  255 

Thanet  Place,  W.C.,  273 

Thames,  149 

Thavie's  Inn,  209 

Theist,  6 1 

Theobald's  Road,  W.C.,  290 


328 


Index. 


Theocracy,  61 

Thomas  Street,  S.E.,  301 

Thomists,  71 

Thirteen  Cantons,  The,  190 

Thistle,  The,  80 

Thistle-crown,  254 

Threadneedle  Street,  E.G.,  266 

Three  Chairmen,  The,  189 

Three  Kings,  The,  81 

Three  Men  Wine,  129 

Three  Nuns,  The,  191 

Three  Suns,  The,  79 

Three-thirds,  241 

Throgmorton  Street,  E.G.,  266 

Thundering  Legion,  The,  163 

Thurlow  Place,  W.C.,  290 

Thursday,  60 

Tierra  del  Fuego,  53 

Tiger-flower,  120 

Tilbury,  138 

Tintoretto,  206 

Titchfield  Street,  W.,  283 

Titchfield  Street,  Great,  W.,  283 

Tobacco,  56 

Tobago  Island,  56 

Toddy,  257 

Tokay,  128 

Tom  Folio,  201 

Tommy  Atkins,  94 

Tontine,  256 

Tooley  Street,  S.E.,  301 

Topaz,  245 

Torquatus  Manlius,  246 

Torres  Strait,  51 

Torrington  Square,  W.C.,  289 

Tory,  109 

Tothill  Fields,  299 

Tothill  Street,  S.W.,  299 

Tottenham  Court  Road,  W.C.,  284 

Tractarians,  76 

Trafalgar,  The,  85 

Trafalgar  Square,  W.C.,  276 

Traitors'  Gate,  215 

Transvaal,  42 

Transylvania,  42 

Trappists,  103 

Treacle  Bible,  126 

Trinidad  Island,  55 

Trinitarians,  75,  101 


Trinity  House,  216 
Trinity  Sunday,  170 
Tristan  d'Acunha,  56 
Trumpeter-bird,  96 
Tudor,  90 
Tuesday,  60 
Tulle,  1 80 
Tulip,  117 
Tunis,  42 
Turkey,  41,  99 
Turkestan,  36 
Turquois,  245 
Tweed,  179 
Twelfth  Day,  167 
Twelfth  Night,  167 
Twickenham,  158 
Twill,  178 

Twin  Diamonds,  245 
Twopenny,  241 
Tyburn,  156 

U. 

Uisquebaugh,  257 
Ultramarine,  146 
Umber,  146 
**  Uncle,"  231 
Uncle  Sam,  93 
Unitarians,  70,  75 
United  Brethren,  69 
Unready,  The,  87 
Upper  Berkeley  Street,  W.,  286 
Upper  Seymour  Street,  W,,  286 
Upper  Ten,  The,  234 
Uraguay,  43 
Usher,  231 
Utilitarianism,  62 

V. 

Valence,  176 
Valenciennes,  180 
Valentine,  172 
Valentine's  Day,  172 
Vanburgh  Castle,  221 
Vancouver  Island,  54 
Van  Dieman's  Land,  52 
Vandyke  Brown,  148 
Vauxhall,  160 

Vauxhall  Bridge  Road,  S.W.,  297 
Vauxhall  Gardens,  193 


Index. 


329 


Velvet,  178 

Velveteen,  178 

Venerable  Bede,  130 

Venetian  Red,  146 

Venezuela,  44 

Vere  Street,  W.,  285 

Vermont,  47 

Vertilam  Buildings,  271 

Victoria,  138 

Victoria,  The,  86 

Victoria  Regia,  119 

Victoria  Street,  S.W.,  297 

Vignette,  185 

Vigo  Street,  W.,  281 

Viking,  57 

Villiers  Street,  W.C.,  275 

Vinegar  Bible,  124 

Vinegar  Yard,  E.G.,  290 

Vine  Street,  W.,  281 

Vine  Street,  S.W.,  299 

Virginia,  46 

Virginia  Bible,  125 

Voltaire,  181 

Volume,  1 06 

W. 

Wagtail,  97 

Walbrook,  E.G.,  263 

Walcheren,  39 

Waldenses,  68 

Wales,  39 

Walham  Green,  159 

Wallachia,  39 

Wallflower,  117 

Walloon,  39 

Waltz,  143 

Walworth,  160 

Wands  worth,  160 

Wardour  Street,  W.,  282 

Wars  of  the  Roses,  79 

Warwick,  136 

Warwick  Gardens,  W.,  295 

Warwick  Lane,  E.G.,  261 

Warwick  Road,  W.,  295 

Warwick,  the  King  Maker,  247 

Water  Lane,  E.G.,  260 

Waterloo,  The,  85 

Waterloo  Bridge,  274 

Waterlow  Park,  222 


Water  Poet,  The,  131 

Watling  Street,  E.G.,  263 

Weaver-bird,  98 

Wednesday,  60 

Weeping  Philosopher,  The,  196 

Welbeck  Street,  W.,  284 

Wellington,  The,  85 

Wellington  Street,  W.C.,  274 

Wells  Street,  W.,  283 

Welsher,  238 

Wesleyan  Methodists,  75 

Wesleyans,  75 

Wessex,  10,  134 

Westbourne  Park,  157 

West  Indies,  35 

Westminster,  192,  212 

Westminster  Abbey,  IOI,  212 

Westmoreland,  133 

Westwood,  161 

Weymouth  Street,  W.,  294 

Wheelwright,  230 

Whig,  109 

Whigamore  Raid,  109 

Whig  Bible,  124 

Whip-poor- Will,  96 

Whisky,  257 

White  Boys,  1 1 1 

Whitechapel,  151 

WThite  Conduit  House,  191 

White  Conduit  Tavern,  192 

Whitecross  Street,  E.G.,  268 

White  Friars,  101 

Whitefriars  Street,  E.G.,  260 

Whitehall,  220 

White  Hart,  The,  79 

White  Hart  Street,  W.C.,  272 

White  Lion,  The,  79 

White  Quakers,  71 

White  Queen,  The,  89 

White  Sea,  49 

White  Sunday,  165 

White  Swan,  The,  79 

White  Swan  and  Antelope,  The,    9 

White  Tower,  215 

Whit  Sunday,  165 

Whitsuntide,  165 

Whittington  Stone,  The,  190 

Wicked  Bible,  124 

Widow,  228 


330 


Index. 


Widow-bird,  98 

Wife,  228 

Wigmore  Street,  W.,  284 

William  Rufus,  88 

William  Street,  N.W.,  287 

William  the  Conqueror,  88 

William  the  Lion,  88 

Willis's  Rooms,  225 

Will  Scarlet,  197 

Wilton,  135 

Wiltshire,  135 

Wimbledon,  159 

Wimpole  Street,  W.,  285 

Winchester  House,  268 

Winchester  Yard,  S.E.,  300 

Windmill  Street,  WT.,  282 

Windmill  Street,  E.G.,  291 

Wine,  129 

Wine  Office  Court,  E.C.,  259 

Winnipeg,  Lake,  48 

Wisconsin,  47 

Witanagemotes,  165 

Wizard  of  the  North,  The,  131 

Woodbine,  117 

Woodcock,  99 

Wood  Green,  153 

Woodpecker,  99 

Wood's  Halfpence,  255 

Wood  Street,  E.G.,  262 

Woolwich,  161 

Worcestershire,  133 

World's  End,  The,  191 

Wormwood  Street,  E.G.,  267 

Worsted,  176 


Wryneck,  99 
Wych  Street,  W.C.,  273 
Wyndham  Place,  W.,  286 
Wyndham  Street,  W.,  286 


X  Ale,  242 
XX  Ale,  242 


X. 


Y. 


Yankee,  93 

Yankee  Jonathan,  207 

Yellow  Book,  106 

Yellow  Sea,  49 

Yendys,  181 

York,  133 

York  and  Albany,  The,  190 

York  House,  220 

York  Road,  N.,  288 

Yorkshire,  133 

Yorkshire  Stingo,  242 

Yorkshire  Stingo,  The,  84 

York  Street,  S.W.,  297 

York  Street,  W.C.,  274 

Yutacan,  44 

Z, 

Zadkiel,  181 
Zanzibar,  42 
Zealand,  New,  52 
Zeeland,  52 
Zoroastrianism,  64 
Zululand,  42 
Zuyder  Zee,  51 


14 


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